Touketsu
by Kaeru Soyokaze
Summary: Sequel to Hiruiseki! DONE! Join Kuronue and his Koorime charge as they get into even more trouble and even more adventure, with a surprise twist at the end and the same old enemy! Can Kaeru stop Zenkai from destroying everything that she loves?
1. Visiting Home

Here it is, minna-san! I'm sorry it's taken me so long...I've been working on Kikyoku like a maniac, but finally I can post the first chapter of Touketsu, the sequel to Hiruiseki! In case you're new to this, read Hiruiseki...in case you're too lazy, here's a short synopsis:  
  
Kuronue gets brought back to life in order to protect a young Ice Maiden from a malevolent Koorime Hunter. He gets to see his old friend Kurama again, plus a few new characters. Of course, watching over Kaeru is no easy job. Being a Koorime, she's terrified of Kuronue, and freezing ensues...daily. But he eventually gains her trust...soon enough, the Hunter attacks, and Kaeru, in a fit of rage, teams up with Hiei to destroy him. Or so they think. But...it turns out Zenkai ISN'T dead, and Kuronue's job is FAR from over!  
  
Disclaimer: I do NOT own the characters of Yu Yu Hakusho, Chitsuko (owned by Lexi-chan), and Mizu (owned by...Mizu)...and Kelsey, Rei, and Axe (I get to USE them, but Kelsey owns them!). I only own Kia, Kaeru, Zenkai, Ryu, Kazuko, and several other characters who I'm too lazy to mention. Go me. And I do not own the Orcs. Why are there Orcs in here? There aren't. I just want to say that I don't own them. Stupid Orcs.  
  
So...let's get rolling! Keep in mind I'm only doing this to delay chapter 15 of Kikyoku…. Hey, whatever works right?  
  
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"I can't BELIEVE you live in this kind of weather..." Kuronue wasn't in a very good mood, and the freezing snow clinging to him didn't help at all.   
  
Kaeru didn't reply. He didn't expect her to. She'd been rather quiet during their trek to Makai, and she had fallen asleep on his back on the way to the floating island of Koorime. One arm loosely dangled over his broad chest, and the stiff winds played with the strands of sea-green hair, loosely gathered into a high ponytail and held in place with a red flower ornament.  
  
"I don't even know why we have to come here," the chimera continued, scowling. All Koenma had told him was that the Elders needed to speak with Kaeru...and Kuronue, as her protector, was obligated to accompany her. Who knew when that bastard Zenkai would strike?  
  
As it turned out, there was a threat of a much different nature approaching. Kuronue took one step-then paused, looking around. Seemingly having appeared out of nowhere, he was now surrounded by tall, regal women, all clad in kimonos. A few had Kaeru's hair color; others had darker or lighter shades. And all were glowing ominously.  
  
The chimera shivered as the temperature suddenly dropped, and continued to fall. This wasn't good. "Look," he said uneasily, "I come in peace, I'm just here to-" He turned, and one of the Koorime caught sight of Kaeru. For all appearances, she looked completely lifeless.   
  
"...What did you do to her?" The Ice Maiden said very slowly...and very menacingly.  
  
Kuronue took a step back. "Wait, I didn't-"  
  
Kaeru chose that moment to wake up. Everyone stared as the small Koorime yawned, blinking sleepily. "Kuronue-san? Are we there-"  
  
"Kaeru!!" One of the Ice Maidens suddenly broke through the circle and ran towards the two.   
  
"Ruri-san!!" Kaeru slid off Kuronue's back and was caught up into the taller woman's arms.   
  
"...Ruri..." One of the Koorime said quietly. "What's going on? What is a MAN doing here?"  
  
"I believe he is the one assigned to protect Kaeru during her stay in Ningenkai." Like Kaeru, Ruri wore her hair in a high ponytail, but she was definitely bustier and carried a certain gracefulness with her at all times that the smaller Koorime hadn't quite mastered yet. She turned to Kuronue. "Am I correct?"  
  
He nodded. "So...call off your army? I'm not here to hurt any of them."  
  
The Ice Maiden that had spoken previously rolled her eyes. "He calls us an army. Men should not be allowed here..."  
  
"Hmmm." Ruri chose not to respond to that and released Kaeru. "It is best if you head on to the village, Kaeru. The Elders await you...as does a certain little Ice Apparition."  
  
"Oh!" The girl's ruby eyes lit up, and before Kuronue could blink, she was off at a run. He took off after her, marveling at her speed. How someone could run that fast in a kimono was something he'd probably never be able to understand. But now they were approaching the village, and other Koorime were emerging...older women, and little girls running out happily.  
  
"KAAAAEEEERRRRUUUUUUUUU!!!" A small blur came speeding up and threw itself at Kaeru, revealing itself as a tiny Koorime, looking to be no more than six or seven. She wore her shoulder-length hair down, and her kimono only reached her knees. "You came back!!"  
  
"Koyuki, you've grown so much!" The older Ice Maiden smiled, squeezing the little girl tightly. "Have you been giving Ruri-san trouble again?"  
  
"Nuh-uh!" Koyuki shook her head, big crimson eyes solemn in her little face. "I've been good. Is it true? Are you REALLY going to see the Elders? And you brought a MAN with you?"  
  
Kaeru hid a smile, indicating Kuronue. "This is Kuronue-san."  
  
"Kuro...nue...Kuronue!" Koyuki beamed up at him and threw her arms around his legs. "You're tall. I like you. Your name is pretty."  
  
"Uh..." The chimera was unsure of what to say. Well, obviously the younger Ice Maidens weren't as prejudiced against males as the older ones were.  
  
"Kaeru?" A young woman peered out from a large tent-like structure. "The Elders will see you and your male companion now."  
  
"Arigato," she replied. She smiled down at Koyuki. "I'll talk to you later, ne?"  
  
"Hai!" The child giggled and skipped off to play tag with the other Koorime children.  
  
Kuronue chuckled. "Well, shall we?"  
  
Kaeru nodded, and the two entered the tent. Kuronue wasn't sure what to expect, and even docile Kaeru was somewhat nervous.   
  
The Elders turned out to be a group of two elder Koorime...still very graceful and regal in their own age, and bearing an air of wisdom and kindness.   
  
"Michi and Aori," Kaeru whispered to the chimera. "But..." She blinked, puzzled. "I don't know where Haruka is..."  
  
"Killed," One of the Elders said quietly. She stepped towards Kaeru. "By Zenkai."   
  
"Oh…" the Ice Maiden looked dismayed. "Aori-san, I'm sorry…"  
  
"Don't be. It is to be our fate if he is not stopped." The younger of the two Elders spoke up. "Kaeru, for some reason, Zenkai seems to think that you have the key to stopping him. Might you know what that is?"  
  
Kaeru shook her head, perplexed. "I…I'm afraid not, Michi-san…believe me, if I knew, I would have stopped him by now!" To Kuronue's surprise, her hands were clenched tightly into fists. "I hate this…he's murdering my family, my PEOPLE, and I don't know what I'm supposed to do!!"  
  
"We know," Aori said kindly, placing a pale hand on the smaller Koorime's head. "We…believe it is best…if you remain in Ningenkai until we find a way to deal with Zenkai. I'm truly sorry, Kaeru, but if you stay here, all of the Ice Maidens will be at risk. While you've been gone, so has Zenkai."  
  
Kuronue tensed. "So you're basically kicking her out??" He demanded loudly, anger evident in his tone. "What kind of family is THAT?!"  
  
"Kuronue-san, it's alright!" Kaeru tugged at his hand. "Really! It's the Koorime way…"  
  
"Screw the Koorime way!" The chimera shouted. "It's called being a bunch of bitchy cowards--"  
  
"Kaeru…" Aori raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Hai! G…gomen nasai, Aori-san, I'll leave right away!" The Ice Maiden practically dragged the fuming youkai away, waving good-bye to little Koyuki and Ruri as she did so.  
  
"Come back soon!" Koyuki called, cupping her little hands over her mouth to amplify the message. Kaeru sort of grimaced, but nodded, forcing a smile.   
  
"You know it's not right," Kuronue remarked, his voice quieter.  
  
"It is to them…and…" She hesitated. "They have a point. I'm only a liability to them if I stay. At least I can prevent more deaths on my account."  
  
"Kaeru--"  
  
The Koorime didn't say anything more, just closed her eyes and kept walking.   
  
The only way to get home is to make sure that I win against Zenkai…it's the only way…  
  
*OOC*  
  
I know it's short, but it's a PROLOGUE! ^^ Anyway, please review, while I try to remember what Touketsu means…o.o NEXT chapter!  
  
* Kaeru and Kuronue return to Ningenkai.  
  
* A strange man greets Kaeru, almost as if he knows her! How is this possible?  
  
* It turns out that Kazuko had a brother…could this man be it? 


	2. The Arrival of Family

This is how tired I am. I have been staring at this blank page for about four minutes, which is a complete and utter waste of time.  
  
…Okay, now it's been longer. . Goddamn.  
  
To be totally strange and random, I dedicate this story most of all to the peoples at Reikitantei.net. You know why? Because I loves them! And…umm…Kaeru the Koorime was born there and everyone there helped shape her sweet, innocent personality!   
  
But for now, I dedicate this CHAPTER to Lexi-chan, who is absolutely swamped with work. I hope this helps, Lexi-chan! ^^;;  
  
And as a reference, for the co-write, we're using Kaeru's story in Liability. This is sort of like an alternate "what-if" story. The only things that are used truthfully are Kaeru's past with Suzaku (which you'll read soon enough) and the whole "Zenkai is an evil bastard Koorime Hunter who wants to kill Kaeru" thing. And another thing, but I can't mention it yet.   
  
^^ God, I love Author Notes…  
  
Last chapter, Kaeru and Kuronue visited her homeland, where they basically learned what they already knew: Zenkai's bent on killing the little Koorime. Now, they're headed back to Ningenkai, a bit more subdued…and yes, Touketsu DOES mean Frozen. ^^ Thanks again.  
  
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"Kaeru-chan! Welcome back!" Chitsuko Ichihara, Kurama's girlfriend, beamed at the petite Koorime as she opened the door, dressed in blue jeans and a short-sleeved black shirt with a red rose screened on it.   
  
Kaeru smiled, feeling slightly better. "Arigato, Chitsuko-san…"  
  
"How did it go?" Her kitsune friend wanted to know, blue-gray eyes bright with barely-suppressed curiosity.   
  
Kuronue, standing beside the smaller Ice Maiden, opened his mouth. "Actually, it--"   
  
"It went fine!" Kaeru quickly interrupted him, toying with her kimono sleeves. Chitsuko knew better and gently drew the Koorime inside.  
  
"Kaeru-chan, what REALLY happened?" Folding her arms across her chest, she studied Kaeru's face until the smaller girl could take it no longer.  
  
"They'd prefer it if I didn't go back for awhile…until Zenkai is defeated. It's too dangerous for everyone if I remain."   
  
A handsome redheaded boy looked up as Kaeru and Kuronue entered, the latter shutting the door behind him. "Well, it DOES keep the majority of the Koorime population out of danger," he remarked quietly.   
  
"It's cowardice, Kurama…" Chitsuko muttered, shaking her head.  
  
"SEE?" Kuronue yelped triumphantly. "SHE agrees with me!"  
  
Kaeru didn't say anything, just closed her eyes, suddenly looking very weary. "It doesn't matter what it is, does it? The fact remains that I can't go home until I do something about that Koorime hunter."  
  
"It's simple." The chimera smirked. "We find the bastard. We kill him. The Koorime worship us, you go home, everyone's happy."  
  
"If only it were that simple…" Kurama sighed. "Unfortunately, these things rarely are." He smiled at Chitsuko. "You know, don't you?"  
  
"How could I not?" The golden-haired hanyou responded dryly. "Nothing's ever easy--" She blinked as they all heard a startled cry from outside. Kurama set down his book and stood up, and they stepped outside in order to see what was going on.   
  
It turned out to be two people: a teenaged girl with her dark brown hair up in a moderately high ponytail was sprawled on the sidewalk, wincing. A man with turquoise-colored hair was kneeling beside her, awkwardly stammering out apologies.   
  
"Oh!" Kaeru gasped, recognizing the female. "Kia-san!"  
  
"Kia?" Chitsuko took a closer look. "Kia!" She ran forward, helping the girl to her feet. "Are you alright?"  
  
The Mirror Holder grinned ruefully. "I'm fine. I just ran into yon fellow…" She pointed to the man, who had risen. "Who says he was looking for Kaeru."  
  
"Kaeru?" Kuronue scowled, placing the confused Koorime behind him and glaring at the stranger. "Why? What do you want with her? Who ARE you?"  
  
The man bowed. "My name is Hiken…" When he looked up, Kaeru, who was peering cautiously from behind the chimera, noticed that his eyes were the exact same ruby color as her own. Who was he, indeed? "Please, may I see Kaeru?"  
  
"No!" Kuronue snapped. "Lay a finger on her and I swear I'll--"  
  
Chitsuko elbowed him roughly. "Being her bodyguard is fine. Being paranoid isn't."  
  
The Ice Maiden stepped out, still wary. Hiken caught sight of her, let out a loud gasp, and in the next instant, he had caught her up in his arms and was hugging her tightly.  
  
The chimera let out a growl and started forward. Kia tripped him. "Stop it! I'd know if he was going to hurt her!"  
  
Meanwhile, Hiken was still hugging the bewildered Kaeru. "It's been so long! And to think, you look just like your mother! You look JUST like Kazuko!"  
  
At the casual reference to her mother's name, Kaeru flinched. "Excuse me, sir…but I don't even know who you are. And how do you know my mother?"  
  
His crimson gaze saddened. "She never told you?" When the Koorime shook her head, sea-green tresses flying, he sighed. "Well, she WAS a Koorime. And I suppose you wouldn't know, for your own good."  
  
What was he talking about? "…What?"  
  
"Kaeru…" The man released her. "Kazuko was my twin sister. Which makes me your uncle."  
  
Kia, Chitsuko, Kurama, and Kuronue stared at him in disbelief.  
  
"UNCLE?!" Kuronue rasped, swiveling from Hiken to Kaeru and back to the man. "UNCLE?????"  
  
"Guess Hiei's not the only male Koorime," Kia muttered, half to herself, as if afraid that by mentioning his name, the Jaganshi would magically appear.   
  
"Do you think he's telling the truth?" Chitsuko whispered to Kurama.  
  
The Youko frowned in calculation. "Well, he seems to bear a resemblance to the race, if his hair and eye color are any indication."  
  
Poor Kaeru was completely lost. Finally recovering her voice, she stared at Hiken. "My mother never mentioned you…and where have you been all this time, if you are who you claim to be?" Normally sweet and trusting, she didn't know why she doubted his words…  
  
"I was born away from the village," he explained. "My mother hid us for as long as she was able. It only lasted three years, though. I was found and duly tossed off the island for being male." He looked pained as he continued to speak. "I was raised by an elderly couple and grew up, constantly searching for my mother and my twin. Word soon reached me that my mother had died…and eventually, I also received news that Kazuko had been killed by a Koorime hunter."  
  
Kaeru stiffened at the mere mention of Zenkai. "That's true…"  
  
"I'm sorry to hear of your loss, little one," Hiken said softly, his voice low and apologetic. "And at such a young age…I believe you were four?"  
  
"Hai…" She didn't feel like talking about it. "How did you find me?"  
  
"I'd heard Kazuko had a daughter who had been sent to Ningenkai in order to escape the hunter. Once I arrived, it was only a simple matter of tracking you, based off the icy ki you emitted." He bowed to Kia. "And then I accidentally bumped into this young lady, who seemed to know you. And here I am."  
  
"Yes, here you are," Kuronue growled, not looking too happy with that fact. "And how long do you plan to BE here?"  
  
Hiken shrugged. "I'd like to get to know my niece better, of course…I probably will stay for a month or two, and then return to Makai." He grinned. "If that's alright with YOU, Sir Bat."  
  
The chimera grumbled under his breath. Kia rolled her eyes. "Jealous," she sang softly.  
  
"I AM NOT!" Obviously, he'd heard.  
  
She turned away, whistling innocently. Chitsuko covered a smile with her hand.   
  
"But where will you stay?" Kurama looked at the man. "I'd offer you lodging, but we're currently…full."  
  
"Oh, don't worry about it." Hiken chuckled. "I'm staying at one of those ridiculously-priced ningen hotel things. Which reminds me, I should probably be getting back now." He hugged Kaeru again and then strode off with a final wave.  
  
"…That was…strange…" Chitsuko commented.  
  
Kia nodded, then tugged on her friend's hand as they turned to follow Kaeru, Kuronue, and Kurama into the house.  
  
"Chitsuko…" The Mirror Holder lowered her voice. "Do me a favor? I'll probably be at Suzuki's, so keep an eye on Mr. Blue Hair? I'm not as paranoid as Kuronue, but we don't know this guy and we don't know if we can trust him."  
  
The kitsune nodded. "I'll definitely watch out for him, I promise."  
  
"Arigato." Kia suddenly grinned, running to catch up with Kuronue. "You should really stop being so jealous, Kuro-kun…Kae-chan is going to suspect something if you keep acting like you just did."  
  
"There's nothing to suspect!" He retorted hotly.  
  
"Oh, really? Not even that you're developing a crush on our little Ice Maiden?"  
  
"Do you want me to hurt you?" He raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Heh…" Kia grinned sheepishly. "Alright, but I just want you to know that if Kelsey finds out, she'll tease you much worse than I did…"  
  
"THERE'S NOTHING TO FIND OUT!"  
  
The girl saluted him meekly. "Whatever you say, sir."  
  
"Do you really think he was telling the truth?" Kurama asked Kaeru, looking down at her. "About being your uncle?"  
  
The Koorime sighed tiredly. "Honestly, Kurama-san, I don't know…his story sounded true enough, but my mother never spoke of him…" She didn't know what to think, but the only thing she wanted to do right now was go to sleep and forget about all of these complications.  
  
"I just wish I knew…" I really do…  
  
*OOC*  
  
Okay, things are going to start getting interesting now…and a bit more comedic. ^^ Please review! And Lexi-chan, it's thanks to you that this finally got up. You used Kaeru in Liability, which reminded me how much I missed writing her story, so I thought, "Heck, let's put up Touketsu!" You motivated me! ^^;; NEXT chapter!  
  
* Kaeru learns why it is not wise to sneak up on Hiei…  
  
* Our little Koorime wants to learn how to…fight?? And HIEI is the teacher? Gaaaah….o.o  
  
* Training starts…and we all get to witness poor Kaeru try to master a katana…pray for her. 


	3. Training Begins

As it is that Kikyoku is currently in its most depressing state, I shall avoid and it and scary reviewers and update Touketsu! Whoo for me! ^^ Thanks to Kota-chan for the…katana…that belongs to Hiei…*sweatdrop*  
  
Hiei: Hn.  
  
Heh…heh heh heh…and Lexi-chan, I'm glad you approved of my Chitsuko portrayal! I wasn't sure if I had her down the way you wanted her. Whew…Bara-chan, still amused by Chibi cookie-sheet bashing. May use that. O.o And to Rose Eternity, umm…I will wisely say nothing and thank you for reviewing. ^^ In the words of Shin-san, yay for comedy!  
  
Last chapter, Kaeru met a strange man, who called himself her uncle! Hmmm…anyway, now we forget Hiken and move on to…Hiei! Poor Kaeru…  
  
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Sunlight filtered through the verdant foliage of the woodland trees, creating dappled shadows on the grass. Hiei didn't pay attention to the quiet beauty of the forest, too caught up in darting about, katana ready to strike at anything that had the misfortune of blundering into his path.   
  
If anyone ELSE had been training in the forest behind Genkai's temple, they wouldn't have detected the almost-silent footsteps as they treaded softly on the ground. But it wasn't anyone else. It was Hiei, and he heard it. Swiftly, he raced for the intruder, bringing his katana forward to spill blood--and stopped.  
  
The tip of the blade rested against the throat of a very pale and frightened Ice Maiden. Her ruby eyes were wide with surprise and fear, but she didn't move. Either she was smart enough to realize that she probably shouldn't make any sudden movements, or terror had locked her feet to the ground.  
  
Hiei rolled his eyes. "Koorime." He let the katana drop to his side. "What are you doing here?"  
  
Kaeru cleared her throat, feeling a little awkward. "Ano…" (Umm…) When the Jaganshi continued to stare at her coldly, she sighed. "Hiei-san, I need a favor…"  
  
"A favor?" The stare became more suspicious. "Of what sort?" It was obvious that he wasn't going to make this very easy for the poor Koorime. They both knew it.  
  
"Well…" Kaeru fidgeted. "If…if you don't mind…could you…train me?"  
  
The question threw Hiei for a loop. Completely disconcerted, he looked more closely at her. Although still pale, her face showed determination and her mouth and chin were set in a posture that told him just how serious she was. "Why?" He asked finally.  
  
The Ice Maiden frowned. "Zenkai almost killed Yukina-chan and Kuronue-san. He's still alive, which means that he might succeed this time. I don't want any of my friends to be in danger, and I want to learn how to fight!"  
  
The Jaganshi had seen this side of Kaeru only once before. It had been when she had asked to help him fight against Zenkai. She now had the exact same stubborn look in her eyes that meant that she wasn't going to back down so easily.  
  
"Hn." He turned away. "Get someone else to train you, Koorime. Someone with more patience, like Kurama."  
  
"I don't WANT Kurama-san to train me!" She shook her head vehemently. "I want YOU to, Hiei-san! You'll be completely honest and you won't go easy on me!"  
  
She had that right. "If you train with me, you're going to have to learn how to fence. And no complaining."  
  
Kaeru nodded gamely. "I can do that."  
  
Hiei heaved a sigh. He hoped he wasn't going to regret this…in fact, he didn't even know WHY he was doing this! It might have something to do with the fact that Kaeru resembled Yukina, and he couldn't seem to refuse the pleading expression on her face or the big ruby eyes fixed trustingly on his own.  
  
"Fine, then. Come back here in an hour. Training will start when you arrive."  
  
The Koorime bowed and hurried off. Hiei watched her go, slowly shaking his head. This was going to be interesting.   
  
***An Hour later…***  
  
When Kaeru returned, she wasn't alone. Kuronue, Kurama, Chitsuko, the Saint Beast Suzaku, and the two Mirror Holders, Kia and Kelsey accompanied her.   
  
"Don't worry, Runt," Suzaku said lazily, stretching out under a shady tree. "We're just here to watch."  
  
"And to make sure that you don't end up killing Kaeru," Kelsey added, in a quieter voice. Kia grinned slightly, and they sat under another tree with the two foxes and Kuronue.   
  
"I'm not going to baby her," Hiei snapped. He led Kaeru over to a huge sword that lay on the ground, the hilt gleaming gold. "That is a broadsword. We're not going to go any further with your training until you pick it up."  
  
The little Koorime eyed the sword warily. It looked bigger than she was! But training was training…so she bent down slightly, grasped the hilt, and pulled. Nothing happened. Vexed, she tried again, pulling harder. Still nothing. Sighing, Kaeru straightened up, dug her heels in, and tugged with all of her strength, gritting her teeth with the effort. It lifted slightly, but then her grip on the hilt slipped and the Ice Maiden stumbled back, managing to regain her balance before she fell over.  
  
"Hn." The fire youkai approached the sword and picked it up, handling it as if it were no lighter than a feather. He handed it to Kaeru and walked away. He had hardly taken a step when he heard a startled yelp, followed by a thump as the Koorime fell backwards, unbalanced by the sword's weight.  
  
"Ouch…" Chitsuko winced. Kia and Kelsey exchanged glances, feeling a bit sorry for poor Kaeru.  
  
"I should have known…" Hiei shook his head in disgust. "The Koorime race is indeed truly pathetic. If you can't even lift THAT, how do you expect to be able to fight?" He lifted his katana and rushed at Kaeru, who was struggling to rise.  
  
Kia gasped. "He's not going to ATTACK her, is he?!"  
  
"Looks like it." Kelsey shrugged.  
  
Kuronue was instantly on his feet as Kaeru was knocked off hers, striking the grassy ground with a low cry. Blood trickled from a small slash on her left cheek, which soon faded, thanks to the Koorime's fast-working healing abilities. She still kept one hand on the broadsword as Hiei approached.  
  
"You're too slow," the Jaganshi calmly informed her. "Even the Mirror Holders could have blocked that."  
  
Kelsey bristled. "What do you mean EVEN the Mirror--"  
  
"It's not worth it," the brunette told her friend. Chitsuko nodded in agreement.   
  
Kuronue, meanwhile, was ready to shed some blood. "Attack her ONE more time, Jaganshi, and I'll shove your face into the ground!"  
  
Hiei wasn't listening, having already started another charge at his "student". "Fight like you mean it, Koorime! Fight like I'm Zenkai!"  
  
"DID YOU NOT HEAR A WORD OF WHAT I JUST SAID??" The chimera bellowed, striding forward. Chitsuko, Kia, and Kelsey held him back.  
  
"He knows what he's doing, Kuro!" Chitsuko admonished him in a harsh whisper. "She'll be fine!"  
  
"It's not like you're WORRIED about her, now are you?" Kelsey smirked infuriatingly at him. "Never figured you for the type to fall in love with an Ice Maiden."  
  
"I'm NOT--"  
  
"I told him you'd be worse than me," Kia said, struggling to keep a straight face. "Guess he'll have to believe me now."  
  
Kaeru was oblivious to the ongoing conversation concerning her. Hiei's words had struck something inside of her, and before she knew it, she was back on her feet, lifting the sword with a yell to meet Hiei's katana. The two blades met with a ringing of steel on steel and the two locked swords, pressed tightly against each other for a moment before the Jaganshi pushed his katana down in an arc and they jumped apart.  
  
"…How long has she been able to do that?" Kurama looked over at Suzaku, blinking mildly.  
  
The Saint Beast shrugged. "You get her mad enough, she can do pretty much anything. And she used to duel Seiryuu when she was younger. Fighting him toughened her up…they didn't really like each other, and he used to pound the crap out of her until she fought back. She's got amazing resilience."  
  
"Nice," Kelsey remarked. "Is that why you stopped calling her 'Snowdrop'?" She glanced at Kaeru to see if she'd heard, but the Koorime was still engaged in the fight with Hiei.  
  
Suzaku nodded. "Being frozen is NOT fun, believe me."  
  
"We'll take your word for it," Chitsuko assured him solemnly.  
  
The match abruptly ended as Hiei managed to knock Kaeru's sword aside, his katana slipping under her guard to touch her throat lightly. For a moment, the two Koorime stood there, the smaller one panting slightly. Then Hiei actually smiled.  
  
"You've dueled before."  
  
"Hai." Kaeru stepped away. "But I haven't done so in a long time."  
  
"You haven't forgotten it."  
  
"No." She smiled ruefully. "I haven't. It just took a little…encouragement…to help me remember."  
  
"'Encouragement', she calls it." Kuronue rolled his eyes. "He tries to kill her and she calls it 'encouragement'. No matter WHO it is, she has to be polite."  
  
"It's Kaeru," Suzaku said offhandedly. "It wouldn't be her if she wasn't."  
  
Hiei sheathed his katana. "That's enough for one day, Koorime. I've judged your skills, and training will increase tomorrow."  
  
Kaeru nodded, not surprised at all. "Hiei-san, I have a name."  
  
"I know."  
  
"So why don't you call me by it?"  
  
He turned to her, his usual gruff façade back in place. "I hate the Koorime race. I will call you Koorime, so stop whining about it."  
  
"H-hai, Hiei-san!" The Ice Maiden quickly bowed. Hiei walked past her, closing his eyes. Even so, he could feel her questioning gaze at his back.   
  
"Does he really hate the Koorime race?" Kelsey blinked. "He seems to like Yukina well enough."  
  
"I don't think he does," Kia said thoughtfully. "If he did, I don't think he would have agreed to train Kaeru."  
  
"So he doesn't hate us?" Kaeru came over, drooping a little. The brief skirmish seemed to have exhausted her, and now she briskly rubbed her arms, wincing.  
  
"C'mon, Kae-chan." Chitsuko took the little Koorime's hand. "Let's go back."  
  
The girl nodded, yawning. She and the hanyou led the way, with the Mirror Holders, Kurama, Suzaku, and Kuronue following.   
  
"Are you sure you want to do this, Kaeru?" Kurama gently questioned her. "Hiei's method of fighting is bound to wear you out, and you're going to get hurt."  
  
"I know, Kurama-san." Kaeru smiled up at him. "That's why I want Hiei-san to train me! It's the only way I'll stand a chance against Zenkai!"  
  
"If you say so…" he said doubtfully.  
  
The Ice Maiden nodded, yawning again. She had a feeling that she'd sleep well tonight.  
  
*OOC*  
  
Well, Kaeru seems to have survived her first training session with Hiei! Now she can rest…HA. Yeah, right. It'll only get harder, I'm afraid. Please review! NEXT chapter!  
  
* It's a visit to the amusement park! What excitements await them?  
  
* DDR calls to the gang! It's a rumble in the arcade when Suzaku and Kuronue get competitive and the girls show off a few moves of their own!   
  
* Well, besides Kia facing down a tiger and Chitsuko assisting a magic show, guess which two little Ice Maidens get stuck on the Ferris wheel? 


	4. Carnival Chaos

First off, I would just like to say that the poem I am about to post has to do with the question I asked in Chapter 16 of Kikyoku, but since Suzaku only shows up here, I'm posting it here. ^^ This is from Kota-chan.  
  
Believe it or not; and ode to Rei... and SUZAKU?!-  
  
Believe it or not, she's not as insane as everyone claims  
  
Believe it or not, she's a kind, caring person  
  
Believe it or not, she has feelings too  
  
Believe it or not, she wants to be cared for too  
  
Believe it or not... She's cried before  
  
Believe it or not, she's felt immense guilt before  
  
Believe it or not, she's dear to me  
  
Believe it or not, we spend more time together then people think  
  
Believe it or not, I've held her in my arms  
  
Believe it or not, I've kissed her, many times  
  
Believe it or not, I enjoyed it  
  
Believe it or not, I want her for myself  
  
Believe it or not, I've told her my dreams  
  
Believe it or not... I love her.  
  
I can only hope she loves me too.  
  
^^ That's too cute, and Kelsey liked it too. Not saying that Rei and Suzaku are an item, which is why I'm asking YOU people for your opinions! And thanks to Melissa-chan for the Jin plushie! I'd put it with my Akumu plushie, but my Akumu plushie is missing his head. *coughs*   
  
Anyway, last chapter, Hiei actually agreed to train Kaeru! The little Koorime demonstrated a surprising aptitude for fencing, and now it's time for a little relaxation.  
  
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"…An amusement park?" Kaeru blinked up at Kurama, keeping her wrists perfectly still so as not to jar the sparrows perched on them. She had been out feeding her little friends when the Youko and Chitsuko had finally found her. "What's that?"  
  
"It's a place with rides, food, and prizes," Chitsuko explained. "Kurama won fifteen tickets at school and we're inviting you."  
  
The Koorime mulled it over, then smiled. "It sounds like fun. Who else is going?"  
  
"Kia, Kelsey, Jin, Suzuki, Rei, Yusuke and Keiko, Kuwabara and Shizuru, Yukina, Hiei, Rinku, Chuu, Shishiwakamaru, Suzaku, and you. We can pay for ourselves and Touya and Mizu couldn't make it." Chitsuko smiled back. "Kia and Kelsey insisted on paying for themselves as well, and we still have to convince Kuronue. We figured he might listen to you."  
  
"Hmm…" Kaeru watched as the last of the birdseed was eaten, and then gently shook her hands to dislodge the birds. "I'll feed you tomorrow!" She called in parting as they took flight, cheeping farewells. After they had vanished from sight, she turned back to the foxes. "I'll talk to him about it, but I don't know if it will help."  
  
Kurama chuckled. "Oh, I'm sure it will…"  
  
Sure enough, the chimera reluctantly went along. "Baka Koorime," he could be heard grumbling as they stood in front of the balloon-decorated entrance.  
  
"Oh, stop being a grouch!" Rei punched his shoulder. "We have Hiei for that."  
  
The Jaganshi scowled darkly at the priestess, who smiled back at him and waggled her fingers.  
  
"They have security," Kia noticed, looking at the young blonde woman in the dark blue police uniform. She was checking people as they entered the fair grounds. "Shishi, Hiei, maybe you two should do something about your swords."  
  
"And Kuronue's wings," Kelsey added. The chimera shot her a glare and she stared right back. "Oh, don't give me that look, Batty! They'll never let you in otherwise."  
  
Kurama shrugged out of his black peacoat and handed it to Kuronue, who slowly put it on. "This is NOT comfortable…"  
  
"It's more comfortable than having the media after you and being tested by scientists if they see your wings," Chitsuko informed him sweetly.  
  
"So, maybe you should…huh?" Kia looked around. "Where did Hiei go?"  
  
"There!" Rinku cried, pointing. The fire youkai was staring coldly at the woman, who was gesturing at his sheathed sword and talking rapidly, sounding quite upset.  
  
"Sir, you CAN'T bring weapons into the grounds, it's not allowed!" She touched the hilt and Hiei's crimson eyes narrowed dangerously.  
  
"I would suggest you don't try that again, unless you don't value your pitiful ningen life," he said quietly.  
  
"HIEI," Chitsuko called warningly. "Do you want me to tell You-know-who about You-know-what?"  
  
The blonde woman became nervous. "S-sir, if you'll just leave it here at the entrance, I promise nothing will happen to it. It will still be here upon your return."  
  
Hiei opened his mouth to object, but Kurama coughed into his hand, jerking his head towards Yukina. The Jaganshi, looking very sour, slowly unbuckled his sheath and laid it on the ground. "…It had better be," he tossed over his shoulder as he sauntered into the park.  
  
"Thank Inari for leverage," Kia said, smiling as she walked after him with Kelsey, Jin, and Shishiwakamaru, who also left his sword at the entrance.  
  
"Just be lucky you dealt with him on a good day!" Rei said cheerfully to the poor woman as she skipped ahead. "He can be very scary if he's in a bad mood."  
  
"B-b-bad mood??" The female squeaked, shuddering.   
  
"Don't mind her," Suzuki assured her. "She's just trying to scare you."  
  
Suzaku shook his head. "I think she's telling the truth." The two exchanged small grins, before they followed the priestess, along with the two Ice Maidens, Chitsuko and Kurama, Chuu, and Rinku. The Kuwabara siblings and Keiko and Yusuke were supposed to meet them inside.  
  
Chitsuko didn't get that far. "You, young lady!" A black-haired man with a thick handlebar mustache approached her, dressed in a black tuxedo, cape, and bowtie.   
  
Surprised, the hanyou pointed to herself. "Me?"  
  
"Yes, you!" He beamed at her. "I am the great Vamoso, a wonderful magician! And you would make a perfect assistant!" He tugged on the ends of his mustache, curling them up. "How about it?"  
  
"Umm…" Chitsuko looked flustered. "I…"  
  
"Go for it," Kelsey urged. "It would be fun and we'll all be sure to watch it."  
  
"The show starts at two o'clock anyway, so we'll just be borrowing her for forty-five minutes and then we'll give her right back after the show." Vamoso smiled winningly. "How about it?"  
  
"Well…" The girl sighed, then smiled. "Oh, why not. I'll see you guys soon!"  
  
"Have fun!" Kaeru called, waving as Chitsuko left with Vamoso. She wasn't quite sure what a magic show actually was, but she'd find out eventually.  
  
"Shall we split up?" Suzuki asked, as Keiko, Yusuke, Shizuru, and Kuwabara approached. "And meet up at the magic show?" Everyone agreed, and they went their separate ways. Kia, Kelsey, Shishiwakamaru, and Jin went to play the games, while Chuu, Rei, Rinku, Kurama, Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Suzuki made a beeline for the roller coaster. After much persuading, Hiei finally went along with them. Shizuru, Keiko, and the two Koorime decided to go on one of the water rides and Kuronue and Suzaku were giving each other challenging stares as they raced for the bumper cars.  
  
Kaeru, new to amusement parks, emerged from the ride, absolutely drenched in water. She kept giggling as she wrung out her dripping ponytail. Keiko, Shizuru, and Yukina were laughing as well, just as wet as their friend.   
  
"Well…" Shizuru looked around. "Should we try out the Haunted House next?"  
  
"Oh, let's!" Keiko cried eagerly. "Maybe it'll be scarier this year!"  
  
"…Scary?" Yukina asked hesitantly. "Umm…"  
  
"It's all right," Shizuru told her, laying a comforting hand on the Koorime's shoulder. "These haunted houses are usually overrated and they're so ridiculous, it's funny."  
  
"So…should we try it?" Kaeru glanced at her companions.   
  
"Sure!" Keiko grabbed the Ice Maiden's hand, practically dragging her towards the ride. Shizuru and Yukina followed, the latter clinging nervously to Shizuru's hand. They climbed into the car decorated as a coffin, and as it started, descending into utter darkness, Yukina gave a frightened squeak.  
  
"See, this isn't so bad," Shizuru said comfortingly. And then skeletal hands gripped the side of the car. Poor Yukina whimpered and scooted away from it, but then the hands let go and slipped down, out of sight.  
  
"It's just a ride…" Kaeru kept repeating to herself. "Just a ride…" And then she started to feel uneasy. Turning in her seat, she glanced behind her…and met a pair of very chilling glowing red eyes that she knew all too well.  
  
"Kaeru-chan!" Keiko grabbed the Koorime's shoulders as Kaeru let out a piercing scream. "What's the matter??"  
  
"Z-Z-Zenkai!!" The little Ice Maiden was shaking too badly to speak straight. "I saw him!"  
  
"Aww, Kaeru…" Shizuru placed her arm around the distraught girl. "Zenkai's not in the Haunted House…it was probably just something else."  
  
Kaeru was too busy trying to slow her heart down to reply, but those eyes…she forced a smile and nodded, just wishing this ride would end.  
  
******  
  
Kelsey let out a loud whistle as Chitsuko took a bow, her red-sequined gown glittering vibrantly.   
  
"She's really good," Kia remarked. "If I had been shut in a box and threatened with death by several sharp swords, I would've bailed."  
  
Jin tugged on her ponytail. "Which is WHY you're not th' assistant, lass." She stuck her tongue out at him.  
  
"He should've picked me." Rei folded her arms across her chest, pushing out her lower lip in a pout. "I would've stuck HIM in the box."  
  
Suzaku rolled his eyes. "And you would have impaled him, too."   
  
"Not on PURPOSE," she insisted.  
  
"Hey…" Rinku blinked. "Where are Kaeru and Yukina?"  
  
"They wanted to go on the Ferris Wheel once before the show started," Keiko explained. "They said they'd be back in time."  
  
"Has anyone seen them?" Suzuki asked. "I don't remember spotting them in here."  
  
That caught Kuronue's attention. "Kaeru's not here?"  
  
"Yukina's not here?" Kuwabara and Hiei said at the same time. The latter gritted his teeth and rose. The former was less quiet.  
  
"YUKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINAAAAAA-SAAAAAAAAN!" And he was off and running.  
  
"…Let's follow him before we get left behind," Shishiwakamaru suggested.  
  
"At the rate THEY'RE going, it might be too late." Chuu sighed, rising as well.  
  
Once they were back outside, blinking in the bright sunlight, Chitsuko (still in the outfit) gasped and pointed. "Look!"  
  
A murmuring crowd gathered at the base of the Ferris Wheel, pointing up just as Chitsuko had done. The others looked up, and then Suzaku yelped.   
  
Kaeru and Yukina were perched at the top of the wheel, looking down, and flinching each time the wind rocked the car they were in.   
  
"Why isn't it moving?" Yusuke frowned. "You don't think…"  
  
"It's BROKEN?" Suzaku shrieked. "GET HER DOWN!!"  
  
"Calm down…" Kurama said gently. "If we all panic, we'll never get them down."  
  
"I'll fly up there!" Kuronue suggested, about to toss off his heavy coat.   
  
Shizuru shook her head at him. "With so many people here? You'll need a distraction. Like…something that would attract the attention of everyone else…"  
  
Rinku gulped, looking at something to his left. "Like a tiger?"  
  
"That would work." The elder Kuwabara turned…and then blinked. "A tiger?"  
  
There, stalking slowly toward a little girl holding tightly to the string of a red balloon, was a brilliant black-striped white tiger.   
  
"HEY!" Kia yelled at the top of her lungs. "WATCH OUT FOR THE TIGER!"  
  
At the sound of her voice, everyone in the crowd swiveled to stare at the huge feline. The tiger swiveled to stare at Kia, decided this was a better target, and headed for her. Everyone else screamed and scattered.  
  
"Kia!" Jin tried to drag her back, but the Mirror Holder stood firm. "What are you doing, get back!!"  
  
"I'll be fine," she told him. "Tell Kuronue to get the girls down while I stop the big kitty." As Jin reluctantly moved aside to tell the chimera this, Kia faced the tiger, brown eyes narrowed slightly. A twitch of her finger and the tiger stopped in its tracks, growling in confusion. It tried taking another step…and couldn't.  
  
"What did she do?" Kuwabara blinked slowly.  
  
Kelsey answered him. "She used her wind ability to bind the tiger where it stood. There's so much pressure on it that it can't move at all."  
  
Meanwhile, Kuronue took off his coat and flapped his wings strongly, soaring up to the top of the wheel. First, he took Yukina, flying down to hand her to Kuwabara. Then he returned for Kaeru. She held on to his neck as he picked her up, carrying her bridal-style. Once they'd landed, Kia grinned and this time lifted the tiger into the air, walking off with the cat floating over her head.   
  
"I'll be back!" She called. "I'm just sticking him in his cage!"  
  
With all the excitement, it took awhile to calm the frazzled Koorime down, but once they had relaxed, another problem surfaced. Suzaku and Kuronue were arguing over the chimera's rescue of Yukina and Kaeru.  
  
"I could've done it!"  
  
"Sure…" Kuronue grinned infuriatingly. "If you had WINGS, you mean?"  
  
"WITHOUT wings, you idiot!"  
  
"Just because you're jealous that I saved--"  
  
"I am NOT jealous! You just think you're some kind of big hero for getting them down!"  
  
"All right, BIRD. You and me, right here and right now!"  
  
"I have a BETTER idea," Shizuru interrupted, before things could get ugly. "You two settle this by a game of Dance Dance Revolution." She firmly pushed the two of them inside the nearby arcade, indicating the two dance stations. "And look…they have rails, so you bakas don't injure yourselves."  
  
Kuronue started to demur. "I don't know…"  
  
"Are you AFRAID?" Suzaku sneered.  
  
That got him. "Not of YOU! Bring it on!"  
  
Kaeru blinked, watching the two youkai hop onto the platforms as Kurama slipped in some money. "…What are they doing?"  
  
Chitsuko shook her head slowly, amused. "They're trying to settle their male pride." She grinned. "C'mon, Kae-chan…there's another station in here. Want to learn how to play?"  
  
"All right," the Ice Maiden agreed gamely, taking the other's hand. Kurama and, surprisingly, Hiei followed them. The others stayed to watch the epic battle between chimera and Saint Beast.  
  
As the first few notes of "Butterfly" started, Kuronue leapt into action, with Suzaku right behind. They hit the left step, the forward step, and then speeded up.  
  
"…I can't see their feet," Kelsey remarked, squinting to see if that would make it any better. It didn't. "I had no idea either of them could dance!"  
  
Shishiwakamaru shrugged. "Motivation is a wonderful thing."  
  
"What are those idiots doing?" Kia had returned, and now she looked at the two dancing fools with a surprised expression her face.  
  
"It's a Kaeru thing," Yusuke explained. "I don't think they even know that she's not here to watch them."  
  
"This should be good." The brunette grinned wickedly.  
  
"If you think THAT'S good," Rei commented. "Then check out Three-Eyes and Icy."  
  
"Who?" Suzuki asked blankly.  
  
"Hiei and Kaeru," Rinku clarified. "Let's go see."  
  
To the group's surprise, Kaeru and Hiei were up on the other DDR game, matching each other beat-for-beat. Neither one of them seemed to be out of breath and they were actually holding a conversation.  
  
"You dance too," Hiei remarked.  
  
Kaeru smiled cheerfully. "I used to dance with Byakko all the time when I was little."  
  
"That fat cat knows how to DANCE?"  
  
"Well…he wasn't THAT fat back then…" The Koorime kept her eyes fastened on the screen and the arrows appearing there as she kept time with her feet. "He preferred to keep it a secret, though…didn't think it was fitting for a dangerous Saint Beast."  
  
"Hn."  
  
After a while, they grew tired and hopped off the platforms to let the others give it a try. Kurama and Chitsuko were great dancers as well. Kia flatly refused, but Shizuru went against Chuu and won. Rei and Suzuki both scored well when they went up, and then everyone wanted to try. Jin finally persuaded Kia to go up there with him and she was immediately hooked.  
  
At six o'clock that evening, everyone was drooping with fatigue. Kaeru kept rubbing her feet, wincing. Chuu hoisted the Koorime onto his shoulders when he noticed her hopping painfully.  
  
"Let's head back," Keiko said, yawning. The others nodded in agreement.  
  
"What about Suzaku and Kuronue?" Kelsey wondered. "They're STILL going strong."  
  
"Let 'em go," Kuwabara advised. "They'll give up sooner or later."  
  
"Give up yet?" Kuronue panted.  
  
"You wish!" Suzaku shot at him. "I'm winning!"  
  
"No, you're not!"  
  
  
  
Hiei sighed. "I'm going."  
  
"Right behind you!" Rei seconded, and then they were gone, leaving the two stubborn males still playing.  
  
Kaeru learned later that they had kept going until Midnight, when security guards had made them leave the park as it closed.  
  
*OOC*  
  
Oh, god…my fingers. The last time I decide to write 9 pages, I'm not doing it all at once! Anyway…please review! NEXT chapter!  
  
* It's Zoo time! Kelsey and Kia do some Orson reminiscing.   
  
* Kaeru ends up stuck in the polar bear enclosure! And you thought the Mirror Holders had bad luck…o.o  
  
* Rei takes the cake…by liberating every single animal in the zoo. Uh-oh… 


	5. Liberation and More at the Zoo

Once again, I'm sorry…all of my muses left me, my aunt died, and then basically…everything just went to hell. Thank goodness for friends, but if one more person at school asks me if I'm going to cry, I'm shoving my foot up their nose.   
  
But I told Kelsey I'd get this chapter tonight or I wouldn't get off the computer at all. So let me see if I can do this…thanks, everyone…and thanks to Melissa-chan for the voodoo dolls. They come in handy. *evil grin*  
  
Anyway, enough of me and my sadness. Last chapter, the gang went to an amusement park, where Kaeru got freaked out at the Haunted House, Chitsuko did a magic show, and Kuronue and Suzaku…well…you know.  
  
Writing actually helps…o.o Wow. So does talking to people (thanks to Lexi-chan, Kelsey, Bara-chan, etc.)  
  
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"It seems kind of sad to me," Kaeru mused, one small hand placed at her chin as she peered through the thick metal bars at the creature within. "Why would you imprison them? They're living, breathing creatures, aren't they?"  
  
Kurama placed a hand on the Koorime's shoulder. "Sometimes, certain types of animals are in danger of becoming extinct," he explained. "They're put into zoos in order to be saved and, once there are more of that type, they're released back into the wild."  
  
"Extinct?" She looked puzzled. "What's that?"  
  
"It's when there is no more of that type of animal. Like the dinosaurs."  
  
"The what?"  
  
Kia shook her head. "She's an Ice Maiden, Kurama. I don't think they have dinosaurs where she's from."  
  
He smiled ruefully. "True enough."  
  
Kaeru turned to them, a relieved smile lighting up her face. "So they'll let them go?"   
  
"Eventually." The redheaded Youko sighed. "Shall we check out the petting zoo, then?"  
  
It was a warm spring day, and the Mirror Holders, Suzaku, Chitsuko, Rei, Kuronue, Kurama, Hiei, Yukina, Kuwabara and Kaeru were at a small zoo, not too far from Suzuki's house. The others had either refused to go or were otherwise too busy.  
  
A few minutes later, the two Ice Maidens were cooing over a sleepy-eyed sheep that seemed faintly surprised by all the attention they were lavishing upon it.   
  
"…Hey." Kelsey poked Kia, who was cuddling a furry brown bunny. "I never thought that Kuronue and Kuwabara would get jealous…of a sheep."  
  
"What?" The brunette turned, took a look, and then nudged Chitsuko. Once the hanyou had looked up and seen what the other two had, she started to giggle.  
  
Kuwabara and Kuronue were both glaring at the wooly creature, who was now calmly munching some pellets that Kaeru proffered. Yukina was petting its springy coat, giggling softly.   
  
"I wonder why Suzaku isn't glaring," Chitsuko remarked.  
  
Rei snorted, sitting cross-legged on the ground with a very plump bristle-haired pig on her lap. "Take a look. He's a little…occupied right now."  
  
This time, all three girls burst out laughing. The Saint Beast had a very sour look on his handsome face as he stared down at a very small goat…nibbling pieces of his white baggy pants. Hiei lounged casually against a wall of the large enclosure, eyes closed. For some reason, all of the animals were avoiding him…one of the chickens that had ventured close to peck at his boot had mysteriously vanished, so that might have been why.  
  
"Get this…this THING away from me!" Suzaku growled, between clenched teeth. "Or better yet, I'LL get rid of it!"  
  
Kaeru glanced up just then and saw her former babysitter raise his hand, probably to zap the poor goat into oblivion. Before he could do so, however, the Koorime had grabbed his arm, pulling it to her and away from the goat.   
  
Perplexed, Suzaku looked down at her. "Kaeru, what--"  
  
"Don't hurt it!" She dropped his arm and backed away, assuming a very protective stance in front of the goat. The animal couldn't care less and sniffed at her kimono, as if wondering whether this was just as tasty as the other man's pants. She gently sent a trace of icy ki at it to discourage that particular train of thought and looked back at Suzaku. "It's not hurting you and you can't use your powers in public anyway!"  
  
"It ate my PANTS."  
  
"You have OTHER pants."  
  
"Not HERE!!"  
  
"Then don't wear any!" Rei called, winking suggestively. "Show off those legs, Bird Boy!"  
  
Suzaku, to Kaeru's amusement, turned bright red. "Oh, shut up." He aimed a halfhearted kick at the goat, which scooted away before his foot even touched a hair on its lean, wiry body.   
  
"Onward and upwards!" The Priestess called, waving her arm wildly. "Now…we…go see…the giraffes!"  
  
Kaeru blinked. "The…the what?"  
  
"Ningen animals," Chitsuko told her. "They have really long necks."  
  
Kelsey smirked. "Just like Kuronue." When the chimera glared at her, she stuck out her tongue, and skipped off, singing.  
  
"Kuronue, where are you going? Upstairs to take a bath. Kuronue, with legs like tree trunks…and a neck like a giraffe!"  
  
Kia shook her head, smiling slightly. "And there she goes…"  
  
The song continued. "Kuronue got into the bathtub. Kuronue pulled up the plug. Oh my goodness, bless my soul, there goes Batty down the hole!"  
  
"Can I kill her?" Kuronue asked wistfully, watching the Mirror Holder's meandering progress. "Or, at the very least, break something?"  
  
"No." Kia grinned at him. "No mauling my friend." She and Chitsuko trotted after Kelsey, with Rei following, still winking at the crimson Suzaku. Kaeru, Hiei, Kurama, Yukina, Kuronue, and Kuwabara brought up the rear.  
  
The giraffe-viewing was fairly uneventful. One of the giraffes DID lower its graceful neck to gently mouth Hiei's shock of black hair, but all the Jaganshi had to do was stare coldly at it and it wandered away in slow retreat. The hippos were fun to watch, and Hiei calmly remarked that one of them, wearing a particularly dumb expression, reminded him of Kuwabara. It took Kurama, Chitsuko, and both Mirror Holders to hold the orange-haired boy back. Upon seeing a pacing panther as they headed for the polar bear exhibit, Kia became slightly tearful. Kelsey also seemed to become a bit more solemn as they stared at the majestic feline, padding back and forth on velvety silent paws.   
  
"What's the matter with them?" Kuronue asked Kurama. "It's just a cat."  
  
The Youko glanced at him. "I believe one is homesick for her former home in the United States and the other is remembering seeing a zoo in that place burn with wild abandonment…"  
  
The chimera blinked. "How do you KNOW this stuff?"  
  
"Mostly from what they tell me." Kurama smiled. "Apparently, they consider me to be a very good listener."  
  
Kuronue chuckled. "That's a definite change from your old self. You would always just brag about what you stole before and how many pretty females you tumbled about."  
  
"Yes, well…" The other shrugged casually. "People change. Even yourself, Kuronue."  
  
With a snort, Kuronue crossed his arms. "Oh, come on!" He scoffed. "You're daft, Kitsune. What makes you think I'VE changed?"  
  
"Well, for starters…" Kurama pointed to Kaeru, who was now headed for the flamingos with Yukina. "The old you would have already made her cry, taken her gems, and ran away to Makai without a thought of your duties."  
  
Kuronue scowled defensively. "Hey, wait…" He inadvertently followed Kurama's gaze, his violet eyes falling on the Ice Maiden. Kaeru remained unaware of the two pairs of eyes resting on her as she leaned over the railing, talking animatedly to Yukina and gazing at the vivid pink birds with large ruby eyes. "I'm…I haven't…"  
  
"Whatever you say, Kuronue…"   
  
Things were still rather peaceful...until they reached the polar bear enclosure. It started off innocently enough. Kaeru was peering over the edge at the white bears, smiling at them as one batted a ball into the water and waded in to retrieve it. Kuwabara was proclaiming his love for the sweetly-puzzled Yukina to anyone who would listen…and to anyone who wouldn't. Hiei was eyeing him malevolently, Suzaku and Kuronue were holding a staring contest with Rei as refereee, and the two foxes, Kia, and Kelsey were standing on the lower level. Kaeru was on the upper level.   
  
It happened so suddenly that no one saw it coming. A group of boisterous teens walked by, talking and laughing loudly. One gangly boy jostled Kaeru. Already leaned over, the sudden hard motion made the startled Ice Maiden flip over the glass and plunge into the water on the other side.   
  
"And KURO WINS!" Rei shouted jubilantly…just as Kaeru hit, arcs of water spraying up from her entrance.  
  
"…What was that?" Suzaku turned…and stared. "Shimatta…KAERU?!"  
  
"Get out of there!!" Kuronue yelled, rushing to the glass and frantically motioning for the Koorime to swim away, with much gesticulating. Kaeru obediently began to swim…but the polar bears' interests were now aroused. Rising to their feet, they slid into the water to investigate this little curiosity treading their icy water.  
  
Yukina was ashen and trembling. "Are…are they going to kill her?"  
  
"Normally, no…" Kia frowned. "But she could quite possibly be injured badly. Even if they're playing, their claws are no joke."  
  
"I'm getting her," the chimera said grimly, starting to peel off his coat. Chitsuko stopped him, placing a hand on his chest.  
  
"Don't. Hiei's got it taken care of."  
  
"…What?" Kuronue looked…and saw Hiei leap into the water, grasping Kaeru around her waist and swimming rapidly away from the puzzled bears. He practically dragged her to dry land and then leapt back to the upper level, setting the shivering Ice Maiden down. She was coughing hard and soaked completely through, but was otherwise unharmed. Suzaku reached her first, tearing off his tan coat and covering Kaeru with it. She clutched at the lapels, smiling weakly.   
  
"…Arigato gozaimasu, Hiei-san…"  
  
He glanced down at her for a moment, and then leapt to join the others. "Hn."   
  
"Let's go home," the Saint Beast said tersely, scooping up the Koorime and turning away. I've had enough excitement for one day."  
  
"Where's Rei?" Kelsey asked suddenly.  
  
"I think that she..." Kia began, but then stopped as she heard a chorus of roars. Hungry roars. And trumpeting… "What the…?"  
  
Lions, tigers, panthers, the flamingos, the goats, monkeys…all of the animals were racing across the park. Not a single creature remained in its cage. And, leading it all, was a large bull elephant, Rei perched on his back. It looked as if the Priestess had freed the entire zoo.  
  
"Liberation for all!" Rei shouted happily over the screams of the panicked people and the noises of the animals. "FREE THE ANIMALS! Isn't that right, Jumbo?" She asked the elephant.  
  
Chitsuko looked dizzy. "I don't even want to know how she did this…"  
  
"…Home," Kia said, in the stunned silence that followed. "Now."  
  
The others were only too happy to obey. And so they left the animals…and Rei…behind. She'd come back eventually once her fun was over with and the animals had been put back in their cages. Except for one…  
  
The next morning, Suzaku found his favorite pair of pants in shreds.  
  
*OOC*  
  
I did it. I'm so tired, it's 11:40 PM, and I am going to bed. Now. *thunk* Anyhoo…please review and all that jazz and thanks to both Lexi-chan and Kelsey for keeping me company for as long as they could. NEXT chapter!  
  
* Suzaku thinks back to the good old days at Maze Castle…just Four Saint Beasts…and a Koorime child. Witness the memories. ^^  
  
* When Kaeru gets attacked at an ice-skating rink, guess who's there to save her? And why is Kuronue jealous of the Koorime's UNCLE?  
  
* Suzaku and Kuronue actually talk…and both must come to terms with something. Kaeru is no longer a child…and Kuronue can no longer deny…what he's been denying.   
  
Argh, my eyes hurt. 


	6. Girls Don't Stay That Little Very Long

Writer's Block is SO not my friend. No, not my friend at all…*sigh* I'm so sorry, guys…everything's just been really hectic and I haven't found the time to work on Touketsu OR Kikyoku. So I figure I might as well force myself to do this. Once again, my apologies. I swear, it's all a conspiracy to make Kikyoku end VERY slowly…*sniffle* I love it too much, I don't want to write the last three chapters!  
  
Anyway, last chapter…the gang went to the zoo, chaos ensued. Such as…the liberation of the animals. The goat eating Suzaku's pants. Kaeru falling into the polar bear enclosure. Speaking of the goat, I have decided to keep him. His name is Barbolla. Because Barbolla has a goat. *evil grin*  
  
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Suzaku tilted his head back as he reclined in an uncomfortable straight-backed wooden chair. His pale purple eyes softened as he watched Kaeru run past, with Yukina pursuing. The giggling of the two playful Koorime sparked a recollection of one of the Ice Maidens, then very young…  
  
***Recollection***  
  
"Noooooooooo! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" A tiny Koorime child, no more than four or five, struggled in Suzaku's arms, her own flailing as she kicked wildly, seeking to get back to her home. "RURI-SAN! SHINSETSU-SAN! NEYUKI-SAN! FUBUKI-SAN! SEKKA-SAN! OKAAAAAAAASAAAAAAAAN!"   
  
Suzaku was starting to wonder if she was going to name the entire Koorime population, so he didn't give her the chance to. He merely covered her mouth with his large hand. "I'm just as unhappy about this as you are, Kaeru," he informed her, watching the island dwindle in the distance. He glanced down at her and sighed. "Okay, maybe not."   
  
Tears were running down the little Ice Maiden's face, and hitting the floor of the boat with small metallic clinks. Her entire body was shaking with sobs as she watched the only home she had ever known slowly disappear.   
  
The Saint Beast couldn't help thinking that Koenma must have been absolutely daft to entrust him with the care of this little youkai. And worse…what were the others going to say? A Koorime…living with them? He had a feeling they weren't going to be very pleased…  
  
He was right.   
  
"Suzaku, kindly explain what you think you're doing…" Seiryu glared at Kaeru, who was clutching Suzaku's leg nervously. "We can't let a CHILD stay here!! A FEMALE one, nonetheless! Are you INSANE?!"  
  
"And since when are you one to listen to that whiny toddler?" Genbu added, his stone tail slowly hitting the ground to express his displeasure. "What possible reason--"  
  
"I owed one of the Koorime a favor," the golden-haired Saint Beast muttered. "This is it. And if I do this for Koenma, he'll be in a position to favor our demands later on. I won't let him forget it."  
  
The dragon Saint Beast shook his head. "I don't care what your reasons are, I will not allow that…that…SNOWDROP to stay--"  
  
Kaeru made an angry noise in her throat, and Suzaku felt her youki stir. But something else had bothered him. "YOU will not allow?" He queried, his voice lowering. "Express your opinions if you must, Seiryu, but you will remember that I am the leader of the Saint Beasts and if I say that she stays here then she WILL stay here. Do you understand?"  
  
For a moment, the two glared at each other. Kaeru was too short for Seiryu to notice her glare, but she made her annoyance known by doing what Koorime did best.   
  
"…Hmph." Seiryu snorted. "Do what you will, then. But if that little brat comes NEAR me--" He turned to leave…and found his feet firmly frozen to the ground. He put two and two together and scowled at the little Ice Maiden. "How DARE you?! Do you know who I AM??"  
  
"Seiryu, Saint Beast, dragon of ice," Kaeru recited in a clear voice. "And a mean old ugly toad!"  
  
Byakko and Genbu couldn't suppress smirks. "She's fairly accurate," Byakko remarked, between snickers. "Mean old ugly toad…"  
  
"Shut UP," the Saint Beast growled, a hint of color rising in his icy blue cheeks. "Listen to me, brat," he addressed the Koorime. "You do NOT want me for an enemy."  
  
Kaeru ignored him and bowed to the other two Saint Beasts. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Byakko-san, Genbu-san. I hope that we can all get along."  
  
Genbu looked at Suzaku. "How long is she staying?"  
  
Suzaku shrugged. "Until she's old enough, I guess. Ruri said she wouldn't be able to handle the threat against her until she was older."  
  
"What threat?" The tiger asked. "What possible threat could be so bad that she'd be sent here?"  
  
"Koorime hunter," was the curt reply. "Come on, Kaeru, I'll introduce you to Murugu."  
  
"Who's Murugu?" She asked, reaching up to take his hand.   
  
"A bird…a rather annoying one, but sometimes I think she can't help it."  
  
Byakko, Seiryu, and Genbu watched their leader go, leading a little teal-haired girl by the hand. "No good can come of this," Seiryu sighed, trying to yank his feet free. "Damn her, I'M the Ice master, not her! Why the hell can't I break loose??"  
  
***Back to Reality***  
  
  
  
"See?" Kaeru called encouragingly to Kuronue as the chimera wobbled on the ice. "It's not that bad."  
  
"Remind me again how I got into this?" Kuronue muttered, just as his feet flew out from under him and he landed on his rear, sliding across the ice skating rink.  
  
Chitsuko was giggling. "You needed to get out more. You know, Kuronue, you seem to be making better progress this way than you were on your feet."  
  
"Hn." Hiei smirked, having no problem whatsoever with staying upright. "It just proves that his ass is used more than his brain."  
  
"HEY!" Kuronue struggled to his feet, swaying. "Once I get my balance, I'm going to kill you!"  
  
The Jaganshi rolled his eyes. "You won't even be able to catch me." And he grabbed Chitsuko's hand, skating off with her.  
  
Kurama blinked. "I believe Hiei has just stolen my girlfriend…"  
  
"Maybe if you ask nicely, he'll give her back," Kaeru suggested, absolutely serious.   
  
The Youko chuckled, offering her his hand. "Perhaps I will. But for now, will you skate with me?"  
  
"Hai!" And they were off, circling the rink.  
  
Hiken, who had shown up at the rink, was now trying not to laugh at the expression Kuronue wore. "I'm sure that young spiky-haired man is actually very nice. Are you all right?"  
  
"Just…fine!" The beet-red chimera gritted, as Suzaku watched amusedly from the sidelines. "Don't you have a niece to skate with or something?"  
  
"Hmm? Oh, no, she seems to be enjoying herself with the redheaded fellow." He smiled. "It's good to see that she's made so many friends here in Ningenkai."  
  
Kuronue slowly nodded. "Yeah, I guess." His ears suddenly twitched, and he frowned. "Hey…do you hear that…cracking?"  
  
Hiken, about to reply, was interrupted as several people screamed and everyone began to exit the rink in a less-than-orderly manner. Turning to see what was going on, the two males saw what looked like a giant snake made of ice pursuing Kaeru. The Koorime was remarkably swift in her element, but now the ice was acting against her. A coil rose from the ice and wrapped around her ankle, yanking her down. Kurama had called forth his Rose Whip and was slicing up the snake, but it soon reformed. Hiei and Chitsuko were assisting Kurama, but a constantly-strengthening wall of ice kept them from reaching the Ice Maiden, as Kuronue had discovered when he had tried to charge to her rescue.  
  
Kaeru cringed as she was dragged closer to the gaping maw of the snake. She couldn't battle back against something that wielded the same type of power that she did! She closed her eyes as the icy reptile lunged…and then felt a rush of heat as something sped past her. A shrieking hiss and someone dragged her back as the snake fell, melting as it did so, until the entire ring was filled with water.   
  
"Hiken-san!" Kaeru gasped, recognizing her savior as he straightened, helping her up. His hands were…sizzling? "Did you…"  
  
"Part of having a fire youkai father," her uncle explained. "Fireballs. Are you injured?"  
  
"No, I'm fine." She shook her head. "Arigato…if you hadn't…"  
  
"If I hadn't, I'm sure your chimera friend or Suzaku would have gotten to you in time." Hiken took her hand, leading her back to the others.  
  
Suzaku watched them approach, sighing. So Zenkai had attacked again, had he? As he gazed at Kaeru, who was now trying to help a scowling Kuronue to his feet, he became lost in the past, once again.  
  
***The Past, Once Again***  
  
"Suzaku-saaaan!" Six-year-old Kaeru tugged on his hand, ruby eyes large with fear. "Seiryu-san said that if I bother him again, he'll feed me to Byakko-san's dogs! Can he do that??"  
  
"Not without Byakko's permission, he can't." Suzaku picked up the tiny Koorime, shifting her to his right hip. "And you know how much that overgrown kitty adores you."  
  
Kaeru relaxed in her caretaker's comforting hold. "Genbu-san is teaching me how to be faster," she said suddenly. "I'm getting better--I only got hit five times today." She beamed up at Suzaku, as if eager to earn his approval of her dodging skills.  
  
The Saint Beast frowned. "Arms," he demanded sharply. When Kaeru hesitated, he held her in place with a muscular arm and, with the other, pushed up the sleeves of her kimono. Dark marks decorated her thin arms and his frown deepened. "Kaeru--"  
  
"It didn't hurt that much!" She quickly interrupted him. "And I didn't cry, either!"  
  
"Be that as it may, Genbu is supposed to be looking after you, NOT bruising you!" He glanced at his charge. "If this keeps up, you'll be a tomboy, and THEN what will Ruri say?"  
  
"A what?"  
  
"…Never mind." He set her down. "Just stay away from Seiryu from now and go play with Murugu…"  
  
The Ice Maiden nodded, running off to do as she had been bid.  
  
Seiryu would probably never like Kaeru, Suzaku thought. But she'd been accepted by Byakko and Genbu was gradually beginning to open up to her. It was all he could ask for…and she wasn't dead yet, so that was probably as good as it was going to get.   
  
***Four Years Later…***  
  
Kaeru straightened, stroking the green bird on her shoulder as she adjusted the red flower ornament in her hair. "It's been a pleasure, Murugu-san."  
  
Murugu twitched a few feathers. "Stay sweet, Kaeru. Of course, with you gone, I'll have Suzaku all to myself…"  
  
The Koorime giggled. "Yes, you will." She watched the bird flutter away and went to say good-bye to three of the Saint Beasts.  
  
"You've grown," Byakko commented, ruffling her hair with a large paw. "Stay out of trouble."  
  
Kaeru nodded. "I'd say the same, Byakko-san, but that is what you do best, isn't it?"  
  
The tiger laughed. "Genbu, say good-bye."  
  
"Good-bye," the stone beast said dutifully. After a minute, he gruffly added, "Your dodging skills have improved. Make sure they stay that way. Seiryu?"  
  
The last Saint Beast snorted. "Good-bye and good riddance."   
  
Unperturbed, the Ice Maiden merely froze his feet to the ground, and left Maze Castle with a last called "Good-bye, minna-san!"  
  
All too soon, Kaeru was hugging Suzaku good-bye, crying almost as hard as she had when she'd first left the island. The Saint Beast managed to keep his own eyes dry until he was leaving, turning back for a last look at Kaeru, who was being engulfed in hugs from all of her Koorime hugs. Ruri met his gaze and nodded calmly, smiling. She knew. And she wouldn't tell anyone that Suzaku, leader of the infamous Saint Beasts, had to blow his nose or that he'd cried silently on his way back to Maze Castle.  
  
***Once Again, Back to Reality…***  
  
"Suzaku-san? Suzaku-san!"  
  
"Huh?" Suzaku snapped out of his reverie and found himself staring at Kaeru…now six years older.   
  
"Your eyes were glazed over…are you all right?"  
  
"Fine," he said, more brusquely than he had intended.   
  
The Koorime nodded and went to talk to Hiken and Chitsuko. Suzaku found himself wandering over to Kuronue, who was keeping one eye on the Ice Maiden, looking frustrated.  
  
"…Hey, Bat. Stop worrying, she's fine."  
  
Kuronue gave his head a shake, looking at the Saint Beast. "I'm not worried."  
  
"Sure you are. I STILL worry about her…" Suzaku smiled. "If only you could have seen her when she was younger…it's amazing how much she's grown and matured. She's grown even now. Every time I see her, she continues to develop."  
  
The chimera, surprised, looked more closely at Suzaku. The other seemed to be talking more to himself than to his companion.  
  
"I guess…" The Saint Beast said softly. "I guess…it's just hard to admit that she isn't so little anymore. I can remember her childhood…but children are bound to change…and Kaeru is no exception. I once watched a ningen movie with the Mirror Holders…and, in the wise words of Maurice Chevalier ((A/N: Pronunced Sheh-Vay (sounds like why)-yay (sounds like hey))), 'their little eyes, so helpless and appealing…will one day flash and send you crashing through the ceiling'…oh, how true. And that little girls…don't stay little very long."  
  
Indeed, Kaeru had grown…and the look of utter adoration that she still gave him would perhaps one day belong to another male, for entirely different reasons. He even thought he knew which male, even though Kaeru herself didn't seem to realize it.   
  
"Kuronue."  
  
"Yeah?" The chimera blinked.   
  
"You do realize that she's grown up, don't you?"   
  
Kuronue didn't have to ask. He knew who Suzaku was referring to. "Yeah, she has…" That's probably what made him so nervous. He couldn't think of her as cute…in the way of those fuzzy little animals the girls so often fawned over. He couldn't deny it; he was attracted to her, and he couldn't understand why. She wasn't like the other females that he and Youko had enjoyed in the past…no, she was the complete opposite. While he was attracted to her, he couldn't let himself go all the way, as it were. For Kaeru's sake. And he hated himself for being so jealous…of Suzaku…of Hiei…even of her own uncle, all because they had been close to her or done his job. If she was little, he wouldn't have minded.  
  
"Maybe that Maurice guy had a point…"  
  
*OOC*  
  
Awwww. ^^ We just loves Kuronue. Anyway…please review and NEXT chapter!  
  
* The return of Truth-or-Dare…  
  
* Let's see how many heart attacks Rei can inflict on the elderly when she pops out of a birthday cake! One…two…three…four…  
  
* Aside from Hiei singing the Grinch song, Suzaku acting like a cowboy, Jin acting like Legolas in public and Touya admitting a very embarrassing moment, Chitsuko dares Chuu to do the most unimaginably horrible thing… 


	7. The Return of TruthorDare

Ugh…being sick really sucks, you know? But hey…when I'm home, it's afternoon, and there's no one to talk to, that means…yes…WORK ON STORIES! *evil cackle* For it is the one fanfic…TO RULE THEM ALL!! ^^;; Just kidding. There's ton of YYH fanfics that are better than mine. Like Kokitsune. And the Miss Independent series. And…*coughs* Sorry.   
  
Anyway, last chaper, Suzaku did some nostalgic reminiscing about his past with Kaeru. Things happened, more things happened, and now it's time for comedy once again! HUGE thanks to aori tsuki, who helped with the truths and dares. This chapter is for you, Mizu-chan! *hugs*  
  
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"Remind me again why we're doing this?" Kuronue glanced down at Kaeru, who looked back at him over her sleeping bag. "I mean…did we all forget what happened last time??"  
  
"We're not letting Kaeru and Yukina out of our sights," Kurama reassured him, as Chitsuko nodded. "And you survived Truth-or-Dare before, remember?"  
  
"Barely," the chimera muttered. Kaeru shifted her things and knocked on the door to Suzuki's house. Rei answered it.  
  
"Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!" She reached out, ensnared the startled Koorime, and enveloped her in a hug. "Come in, come in, we're just getting started!!"  
  
Chitsuko and Kurama smiled at each other before they walked inside. Suzaku and Kuronue followed, although the latter could be heard muttering darkly under his breath.   
  
Everyone else was already there: the usual inhabitants of the Suzuki house, plus Mizu, Yusuke and Keiko, Yukina, Botan, and Kazuma and Shizuru Kuwabara. The newcomers were greeted with big smiles and grins, and several waves (with the exception of Hiei).   
  
Kuronue reluctantly settled down on the couch, warily eyeing the door. He was ready to bolt if necessary. Unfortunately, two certain Mirror Holders were ready to stop him.   
  
"Kia, he's trying to get away!" Kelsey leapt onto the couch and smacked the chimera in the face with a gaudy red velvet pillow. "Thou shalt not go free!"  
  
"You shall not pass," Kia added, blocking the door with a dramatic flourish of outstretched arms and legs. The effect was spoiled, however, when Jin simply picked her up and slung her over his shoulder. "Jiiiin, you destroyed my…my…moment!"  
  
Suzuki raised an eyebrow. "You had a moment? Pity, I think I missed it." He turned back to his conversation with Chuu with a grin on his face, as Kia shook a clenched fist in his direction.   
  
"Ah, good, the gang's all here." Yusuke rubbed his hands together briskly. "Now, time for the good stuff!"   
  
"Good stuff?" Kaeru echoed blankly.   
  
"RUM!!" Rei cheered boisterously. When they all looked at her, she smiled and shrugged. "Well, it's good stuff, isn't it?"  
  
Chuu raised his bottle of alcohol in a sort of sloppy toast. "That it is, love, that it is…" He then proceeded to chug the liquid without pausing for breath. The two Ice Maidens watched him, wide-eyed.   
  
The black-haired Tantei rolled his eyes. "I meant Truth-or-Dare."  
  
Kuronue visibly flinched. "No. I am NOT doing that again!"  
  
Rei stuck out her lips in a pout and grabbed his hands, pulling him down to sit beside her. "Don't be a spoilsport, Batty! It's all in good fun."  
  
Shishiwakamaru shuddered, remembering their last incident of "good fun". The one where he'd worn a trashcan lid on his head and sang the Sesame Street theme song. The one where Rei had hospitalized an old man. And the one where Kuronue had kissed an old lady in a store--and had almost gotten his head bashed in by her purse.   
  
"Please play, Kuronue-san." Kaeru, sitting directly across from him in the circle they were forming, looked at him with big ruby eyes. "It's fun!"  
  
"'Fun', she says," he grumbled, reluctantly relaxing and looking at the others.   
  
Kelsey was practically bouncing. "I'll go first, I'll go first!!" She looked around for a victim, and then her keen gaze settled on Touya. "Alright, Mister Ice Master, Truth or Dare?"  
  
Touya weighed his options carefully, thought of who was asking him, and decided to go with the safer one. "Truth."  
  
"What was your most embarrassing moment?"  
  
The others leaned forward interestedly as the diminutive Shinobi slowly turned pink. "Well…" He hesitated.  
  
"Weeeeeeell?" Botan prompted.   
  
"I…err…after the Ankoku Bujutsukkai, a lot of us fighters got together for a fighter…I became pretty intoxicated and…I'm afraid I…kissed Shishiwakamaru."  
  
Kia cringed. "You poor thing. You WOULD have to be wasted to want to kiss Shishi."   
  
"Hey!" The samurai glared at her. She shrugged. "Kelsey isn't drunk when she kisses me!"  
  
"How are you so sure?"   
  
Kelsey laughed. "I'm not. But still…Touya kissing Shishi. I smell blackmail. Your turn, Icy Boy."   
  
Touya, face still flushed, called on Rei. She chose Dare. In fact, she even suggested doing one of her own dares. Which was why Suzaku and Yusuke were soon wheeling a massive three-tiered white-frosting birthday cake into a nearby nursing home. And when Rei popped out in a gaudy hot-pink bikini and pranced around the room, singing "Happy Birthday", six elderly people suffered sudden heart attacks. The three raced from the room before the orderlies could figure out what had happened.   
  
Things continued. Once they had returned to Suzuki's house, Rei had dared Suzaku to dress up AND act like a cowboy for the rest of the night. Kia had produced a cowboy hat and a sheriff's badge from somewhere in her closet, and Chuu had given the Saint Beast a pair of giant leather boots. The red-faced youkai was soon talking in an atrocious Western accent, causing Kaeru to ask if he was unwell.   
  
Kuronue, after being asked if he had ever cross-dressed, admitted that he had once dressed up as Little Bo Peep in one of his thefts--complete with shepherdess' cane and frilly skirt and bonnet. Once the laughter had died down, he dared Shishiwakamaru to dress up as a girl and go out into the streets to see if he could fool anyone about his gender. Botan, Chitsuko, and Shizuru volunteered to "prettify" him, and soon the samurai was standing outside, his blue hair in loose ringlets, held back with a pink headband. He wore a Sarayashiki outfit that Botan had somehow gotten to fit him perfectly. He also had on blush, blue eyeshadow, and bright red lipstick.   
  
Five minutes later, he stomped inside, went into the bathroom, and slammed the door hard.   
  
"So how many?" Rinku asked the three makeup artists.  
  
Shizuru smirked. "Six. Four of them asked him out. One proposed to him."  
  
Mizu laughed. "I knew it! He looks feminine WITHOUT the makeup, but with it…"   
  
Once Shishiwakamaru had rejoined them, back in his usual garb and without the lipstick, he asked Kia if she had had any past boyfriends. After much grumbling and avoiding Jin's eyes, she had replied that she'd gone out with a boy when she was twelve, but that was it. The Wind Master relaxed, and Kia (after glaring at the snickering Shishi) dared Hiei to sing the Grinch Song. The Jaganshi did, scowling darkly the entire time, but he was actually very good, and received a standing ovation once he had finished. He was still frowning, even after Yusuke dared Kurama to go door-to-door, selling…unmentionables.  
  
"Excuse me, ma'am," the Youko said politely, flashing a smile at the wary-eyed woman who answered the door. "But you look like a woman who knows what her man wants, and I'm sure he wants his wife to have the latest in undergarments!"  
  
The woman gave him a surly glare. "My husband ran off with the lady at the grocery store a week ago."  
  
Kia, Chitsuko, and Yusuke all winced, hidden behind a bush. Yusuke had told Kurama that he couldn't come back until he had sold at least one thing. The rose-wielder was getting desperate.   
  
Unruffled, Kurama quickly countered, "Well, then, show him what he's given up! He'll regret leaving you, absolutely guaranteed. Or you could always just find another man. You're a very attractive woman." Again, the disarming smile.  
  
The woman bought five things.   
  
"Shame on you, Kurama," Kia told him, as they headed back. "She'll try to put the moves on you now."  
  
He sighed. "I know…"  
  
Yusuke grinned. "Chitsuko will scare her off." The golden-haired hanyou flexed her arm and they all laughed.  
  
And still, the chaos continued. Jin had to dress up as Legolas and go out in public, with only Kia to defend him from the horde of fangirls. The compassionate Mirror Holder proved she was up to the job when she took down three of them, with one swing of her schoolbag. Even so, there were too many of them, and Jin and Kia were soon outnumbered. But the Wind Master came up with a plan of escape and the girls exclaimed in disappointment when they saw "Legolas" and "That Legolas-hogger" fly away.   
  
Jin went easy on Rinku and repeated Kelsey's earlier question. The little fighter confessed that he'd once walked into the girls' bathroom and had almost lost his hearing when every single girl in the room had screamed very loudly and piercingly. Chuu had teased him mercilessly, and now, remembering, he started to taunt him again.   
  
Things got tense when Rinku asked Yukina if she loved Kuwabara. The Ice Maiden had looked at the nervous Kuwabara, and then at the glowering Hiei.   
  
"Of course I do." Before Hiei could kill the orange-haired boy, she added, "I love all of my friends." No one had the heart (or the nerve) to fully explain what Rinku had actually meant when he had posed the question, but then it wasn't really that big a deal--except to Hiei and Kuwabara. And then, when Yukina picked Kuwabara and asked her question, it was all they could do to keep straight faces.  
  
"Kazuma-san, could you please explain the 'power of love' that you seem to be fond of mentioning?"  
  
Botan looked faintly uneasy. Hiei looked very murderous. Rei started cheering. "Go, Kuwabara! You da man! No, YOU da man!"  
  
"Not now, Rei," Mizu muttered.   
  
Kuwabara took a deep breath and puffed up like a blowfish. "Well, Yukina-san, I was connected to you by the red pinky-string of love, and that is how I saved you! If my love hadn't crossed distances to find you, we would never be together, and destiny would be thwarted! THAT is the power of love! Now, my love, I shall take you into my--"   
  
Keiko and Shizuru both coughed simultaneously, and when Kuwabara didn't shut up, Shizuru gave her younger brother a solid thump on the skull. That worked.   
  
The next dare made both Kuronue and Suzaku stiffen, as Kuwabara dared Suzuki to kiss Kaeru. The inventor was uncomfortably aware of their glares as he leaned forward to plant a cautious kiss on the Koorime's lips. Kaeru didn't seem to be as upset as her "guardians" were, but, all the same, Suzuki edged away from her as he asked Keiko if she was still a virgin.  
  
The brunette looked as if she'd love nothing better than to slap him--hard. "Yes," she said, between gritted teeth. "I AM."   
  
Suzuki smirked at Yusuke, who colored slightly. But Keiko got her revenge when she dared Botan to beat Suzuki over the head with her oar. The ferrygirl did--gladly, while every single girl (except for Kaeru and Yukina, who were puzzled by all of the fuss) cheered her on.  
  
Glares soon stopped as Botan dared Chitsuko to sing "Jingle Bells" while tangoing around the room with Hiei. Well, most glares. Hiei had his on full-force as Chitsuko deftly maneuvered him around the room, making him do a twirl on "Oh, what fun it is to ride on a one-horse open sleigh!"  
  
Then came the worst dare of all. Chitsuko picked Chuu. "Are you sure you can handle this? Once you do it, there's no turning back."  
  
He waved her on impatiently.  
  
"Fine. I dare you…to go a whole week without drinking."   
  
The drunkard actually burst into tears. Everyone else slowly formed a sweatdrop as Kaeru sympathetically patted his arm.   
  
"I'll hide the alcohol!" Rinku volunteered.   
  
"Better yet, burn it." Rei grinned. "Or give it to me."  
  
"Noooooo!" Chuu sobbed. Kaeru continued to make soothing noises and pat his arm. It took her a full five minutes to finally calm him down, and he was still red-eyed when he dared Mizu to go out in public with her fox ears and tail showing. The kitsune readily agreed, and even posed for pictures as a group of tourists gaped at her. One brave child even tugged on her tail to see if it was real.   
  
Mizu dared Kelsey to kiss Shishiwakamaru for a whole minute. The Mirror Holder made a huge show of complaining and fussing and grumbling, but when she finally kissed Shishi, she ended it reluctantly. Yusuke punched the samurai's shoulder, complimenting him on his "way with the women", and got a pillow in the face for that.  
  
Finally, Kelsey turned to Kaeru. "Do you love anybody?"  
  
The Ice Maiden slowly blinked. "In the way of Yukina-chan loving her friends, or in the way Kurama-san and Chitsuko-san love each other?"  
  
"She's observant," Kurama remarked, surprised.  
  
Hiei rolled his eyes. "She lives with you two. She'd have to be blind and deaf not to know."  
  
"The second one," Kelsey clarified, since Kaeru still looked confused. "Do you?"  
  
"Ano…" Kaeru frowned thoughtfully. "I'm not really sure. I think I'd have to learn a bit more about love before I said if I loved anyone or not."  
  
"Do you LIKE anyone?" The blonde persisted.  
  
This time, the Koorime actually blushed. Kia, seeing this, elbowed her friend. "ONE question, remember?"   
  
"But she's blushing!" Kelsey protested. "That means she does!"  
  
"Well, then, there's your answer."   
  
Kaeru gave Kia a grateful smile as the news started on the television. Kuronue was too busy pondering about what the Ice Maiden had said to listen to the announcements.  
  
"Yet another series of random occurrences have taken place today. There have been several reports of a fox-girl, whose ears and tail appeared authentic. Also, a man dressed up as a popular character FLEW away, according to quite a few eyewitnesses. Six senior citizens have been taken to the hospital, one claiming that a girl in 'nothing but her underwear' popped out of a cake and did a dance. More of this at six…"  
  
"It never gets old," Rei said happily. "Let's tape it this time!"  
  
Every single person in the room sighed in unison. Even Kaeru and Yukina.  
  
*OOC*  
  
Whee, that was fun! 6 pages…Writer's Block sucks, but I've learned that if you just force yourself to keep writing, it gets easier after a page or so. Once again, thanks to Mizu, and please review! NEXT CHAPTER!  
  
* As it turns out, Kurama volunteers to hide Chuu's supply of alcohol…innocent, right? Hmmm…  
  
* Poor Kaeru learns why it is not wise to swallow a dried hot pepper.  
  
* Kuronue learns why it is not wise to leave Chuu's alcohol out when said Koorime is looking for something to swallow after dried pepper. And he also learns what happens to a Koorime when they get drunk…o.O 


	8. Intoxicating Innocence

All right, here's the thing. For every one chapter of Kikyoku, I'll be doing two chapters of Touketsu. So you won't get another Kikyoku chapter until this one's been posted. My way of stalling. ^^;; So, let's review! Kaeru and co. went to a party at Suzuki's house, lots of chaos (including the hospitalization of several senior citizens), and now things are about to get very interesting for two of our characters…  
  
*sniffle* I don't wanna finish Kikyoku…. You can't make me! *runs and hides* It's those Stupid Orcs!  
  
Inuki: Woof!  
  
*calms down slightly* Fine, fine…enjoy, readers!   
  
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"I hope ye die, ye thief!!" Chuu yelled at Kurama's back, as the redhead accepted the armful of bottles from a snickering Rinku. "Trying to separate a man from his one love!"  
  
"That's kind of pathetic, Chuu," Kelsey remarked, who had come with the two…mainly to prevent the drunkard from attacking Rinku, who kept provoking him.   
  
Chitsuko shook her head amusedly. "You'll get them back in a week. This is just to make sure that you don't accidentally forget and take a drink."  
  
"Bye, Chitsuko!" Rinku called, as he and Kelsey dragged a wailing Chuu away. "Take care of it!"  
  
That had been three days ago. Now it was late morning in the Minamino household. Shiori had left for work. Kurama and Chitsuko had gone to the movies, although Kuronue suspected they wouldn't actually be watching the movie. Rei had dropped by and "kidnapped" Suzaku, pausing only long enough to assure Kuronue (who could care less) that she wasn't going to kill him and to deliver a saucy wink at the stricken Saint Beast.   
  
The chimera had been sitting at the table, deep in thought and absently popping dried hot peppers into his mouth. He seemed oblivious to the taste, not bothered in the slightest. He was alone in the house, with the exception of Kaeru, who was still sleeping. The Koorime wasn't much for all-nighters, and she hadn't slept since the sleepover, lost in a sort of brooding silence. Chitsuko had finally gotten her to bed and, once her head hit the pillow, she was a goner.   
  
With a sigh, Kuronue finally rose, taking a sip from one of Chuu's beloved bottles and heading to his room for a nap of his own.   
  
Two minutes later, a rumpled-haired Kaeru dressed simply in an oversized gray nightshirt with red-trimmed long-sleeved cuffs walked into the room, blinking and yawning. Spotting the jar of peppers that Kuronue had forgotten to put back in the kitchen, she reached into it and pulled out a pepper. Curious as to what this small, shriveled shiny thing was, she put it in her mouth and swallowed. And promptly learned why it was probably wise to investigate anything she ate BEFORE she ate it.   
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEOUUUUUUUUUCHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"  
  
Kuronue was rudely awakened from his slumber by several loud yelps. Frowning, he staggered out of his room to investigate.  
  
By now, poor Kaeru was frantically searching for anything that would quell the burning in her throat…it felt terrible! And then she saw the bottle.  
  
If only Kuronue had remembered to hide the bottle, as Kurama had instructed. If only Kaeru hadn't swallowed that dried pepper. But he had, and she had, and by the time Kuronue arrived on the scene, he was too late. The Ice Maiden had managed to chug the entire bottle.   
  
With Chuu, even the slightest sip got him instantly drunk. With a Koorime, who had never had anything alcoholic in her system, results were more than disastrous. They were catastrophic.   
  
"Kaeru!" Seeing his charge sprawled on the floor, the bottle rolling out of her hand, Kuronue should have assumed the obvious. But he didn't. "Crap, you're not dead, are you?? Please don't be dead!"  
  
Kaeru peered up at Kuronue with bleary eyes. "Doeshn' burn anymore," she said thickly, and then hiccupped. "Tastesh funny, though."  
  
Okay, so she wasn't dead. And Kuronue finally realized what was wrong. "Kaeru…did you drink all of that?"  
  
"Yesh." She hiccupped again. "I wanna go outshide," she added petulantly. "It'sh nicesh out…" And, before the startled chimera could stop her, she'd slipped out of the door…still in her nightshirt.   
  
If she'd downed the contents of that bottle…she was in a lot of trouble. And now she was out there. Kuronue cursed himself for being so thickheaded and slow this morning and rushed out after her, grabbing one of Kurama's coats to hide his wings.   
  
For being incredibly drunk, Kaeru had covered a good distance before Kuronue finally caught up with her. She was weaving unsteadily amongst a crowd of gaping people…the males nodding approvingly and starting towards her, recognizing a chance when they saw it, and the females looking absolutely horrified at this "hussy" clad in "practically nothing", traipsing along.   
  
Kuronue gritted his teeth and strode forward, catching the Koorime's arm and hauling her backwards. "Are you INSANE?" He hissed, glaring venomously at everyone, who immediately retreated, cowed. "You know better than to go out on the streets alone…and especially when you're drunk!"  
  
The petite Ice Maiden's eyes welled up. "I'm bad?" she questioned, sounding more like a plaintive three-year-old than herself. "I'm shorreh…" Obviously she was one of those sentimental drunks.   
  
"Uh…" The bat-winged youkai suddenly became aware of the stares of the crowd.   
  
"Get that girl home and put her to bed!" One woman yelled.  
  
"Better yet, I'll take her home!" A teenaged boy shouted, amidst hoots and jeers from his comrades.  
  
"I've got a good recipe for hangovers!" Another female called helpfully. "Let me see, you use two raw eggs, some brown sugar…"  
  
The first idea was probably the one he should follow. Kuronue picked up the sniffling Kaeru, catching a few of the hiruiseki gems in his hand as he did so. He couldn't fly with so many people around…the Mirror Holders would flay him alive if he was seen with his wings. So he ran, and he didn't stop running until they were safely back in Kurama's house. There he sat Kaeru down on the couch and did his best to look stern.   
  
"All right, young lady, you sit there and think about what you've done!"  
  
A long silence. Then--  
  
"What'sh I do?"  
  
The chimera glared at her. "You got drunk, you went out in your nightshirt, and Enma knows what you'll do ne--"  
  
Even in her inebriated state, Kaeru figured out the best way to effectively silence him. She slid off the couch, walked over, seized a handful of hair, and dragged Kuronue's head down to kiss him. Then she let go.   
  
Kuronue couldn't help gaping at the Koorime. "What was THAT?"  
  
"You wantsh me," Kaeru told him cheerfully. "I shee…everyone looksh at Koorime that way…all the ningen malesh…do you like me, Kuronue?"  
  
Even more startling than the kiss was her use of his name without the honorific "san" she usually attached to it. "Ah…" he said carefully, avoiding her direct gaze. "I--"  
  
"When I watch… (the next word was so slurred, it was almost unrecognizable, but he thought it was "television") with Rei-shan…we watch shoap operash…and the man alwaysh doesh shomething with the girl…Rei-shan callsh it sheducing…are you gonna sheduce me, Kuronue?" She grabbed his wing and yanked, knocking him off balance until he landed on the floor, where she put her hands on his shoulders to keep him down, her unbound teal hair falling into his face as she leaned downwards.  
  
At this point, she was the one doing the seducing, Kuronue thought dizzily. How easy it would be just to go along with her…after all, she probably wouldn't remember any of this tomorrow.   
  
"I'm only a liability to them if I stay. At least I can prevent more deaths on my account…"  
  
Suddenly, he flinched, as those words came to mind. Kaeru had said that when they'd been visiting her home. She'd left to save her friends and family from Zenkai…how could he even think of taking advantage of a Koorime who was risking everything, including her own life, to protect those she cared for? Even if she wouldn't remember, he would. Right now, the best thing to do was to get her in bed.  
  
"Kaeru." He gently pried her hands off his shoulders and stood up. "You need some rest. If I'm right, you're gonna have a hell of a headache tomorrow morning."  
  
"Notsh tired," the Ice Maiden protested. But, apparently, she was. She blinked slowly, then sighed, and toppled over. Kuronue caught her and lifted her up. He carried the unconscious Koorime to her room and tucked her into bed. Kaeru gave a sleepy mutter and then relaxed into slumber. Shaking his head and smoothing the covers over her, Kuronue tossed the empty bottle up and down.   
  
"How am I going to explain this to Kurama…?"  
  
When Chitsuko and Kurama returned two hours later, Kuronue explained. As he had expected, neither one was very pleased, and Chitsuko spent another hour brewing up a hangover cure for Kaeru. It came in handy when the Koorime awoke.   
  
"Hey…how're you feeling?" Kuronue looked down at Kaeru, who was sipping from the cup Chitsuko had given her and trying not to grimace.  
  
The girl smiled wearily. "Like I was hit by Hiei-san's dragon…what happened? All I remember was eating that really hot thing, and then I woke up with this horrible headache…"  
  
The chimera coughed into his hand. "Er…well, see…you…" He met Kaeru's questioning eyes and then decided not to tell her. "You drank Chuu's alcohol and passed out."  
  
"Well, that would explain the headache…"   
  
As he watched her rub her forehead and drink the rest of the brew, he resolved to do something…besides hiding Chuu's bottles extremely well.   
  
He was never going to let Kaeru watch soap operas with Rei again.   
  
  
  
  
  
*OOC*  
  
  
  
Hooo…why you should never let someone braindead do stuff like this! Be afraid…very afraid. So, if you're not afraid by reading this chapter, please review and here's what's coming up next chapter!  
  
  
  
* Kaeru is summoned to Reikai and gets her first-ever oar ride…pray for her.   
  
* When she gets to Reikai, Koenma has some very solemn news for her…you'll now learn why Zenkai seeks to destroy Kaeru.  
  
* Hiken discusses his past with Kuronue and Suzaku's goat buddy returns. 


	9. A Trip to Reikai

Well, sometimes my writer's block acts up…and sometimes it doesn't. x.x What can I say, it's a very fickle thing and I hope it dies.   
  
Lobo-chan, those were the people who helped me out with that particular chapter. Don't misunderstood, I'm very grateful for all you've done, and that wasn't a final shout-out page. -.- And if you get pissed because I didn't mention your name or thank you every chapter, does that make you my "most loyal fan"? I DO thank you for every poem you've written, and I give credit where credit is due. *probably should've posted in Kikyoku, but updates will be few for that one*  
  
That aside, let's move on, shall we, minna-san? Last chapter, Kaeru got drunk. Enough said. Fweee. Dedicated to Lexi-chan, whose writer's block is being even more evil than mine. And you didn't think it was possible. XD  
  
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"Kae-chan, I promise, you're not going to fall!" Botan repeated the assurance for the fifth time, glancing exasperatedly at the Koorime, who was eyeing the oar her friend was riding. The look in her eyes as she stared at the object was easy enough to decipher. Absolute mistrust. Not of Botan, but of the oar. "Onegai, just get on?"  
  
"Demo (but)…demo…it looks…so…unstable."  
  
Botan blinked and rocked slowly on the oar as it floated upwards. "See, look. It's PERFECTLY stable!" Just as she said that, she leaned forward, the oar rocked again, and she fell off, hitting the damp grass with a thud.   
  
"Botan-san!!" Alarmed, Kaeru grasped the ferrygirl's arm, helping her to her feet. "Are you all right??"  
  
"Fine, fine!" With the Ice Maiden's assistance, Botan was able to get up. She placed her hands behind her head, laughing nervously. "That wasn't very convincing, ne?"  
  
  
  
Kaeru looked at the chuckling girl, and then at the oar, now hovering innocently above them. A soft sigh was issued, and then she turned back to Botan, lifting her chin up. "I'm ready to go."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"No." A few seconds later, she shook her head, chagrined. "I mean, YES!"  
  
Botan boosted her Koorime friend onto the oar and hopped on, instructing Kaeru to wrap an arm around her…just in case.   
  
Kuronue watched them from a window in Kurama's house, sighing. Things had almost returned to normal, until Botan had dropped by and told Kaeru she'd been summoned to Reikai and they had to leave right away.  
  
And now his charge was perched on a wooden stick, under the protection of the most ditzy, happy-go-lucky ferrygirl he'd ever met. To Kuronue, this reeked of DOOM. He was about to go after them when a loud yell from Suzaku made his ears twitch in pain.  
  
"WHAT IN THE HELL IS UP WITH THIS DAMNED GOAT!!"  
  
Kuronue turned…just in time to see the leader of the Saint Beasts hobble by, a very familiar-looking goat clamped on his left leg. In fact, it was the same goat at the zoo that had developed a penchant for Suzaku's pants.   
  
The chimera raised an eyebrow. "I don't want to know…"  
  
***Reikai***  
  
"Kae-chan…" Botan looked at the Ice Maiden, who kept her eyes tightly shut. "Kae-chan, we're here!"  
  
"Really…?" Kaeru lowered her hands from her eyes and finally opened them. Sure enough, they were in front of a big pagoda-like building.  
  
Botan lifted her passenger down and then the oar disappeared in a flash of yellow light. "Koenma-sama's office isn't too far inside." She offered Kaeru her hand, who took it and, as the wide doors swept open, they stepped inside.   
  
"Oh, good, she's here!" A blue-skinned one-horned creature wearing nothing but a tiger-striped loincloth hurried over to them.   
  
Kaeru shrank behind Botan with a muted squeak. The creature looked at her in puzzlement. "Am I that scary?"   
  
"Kaeru, this is Jorge, Koenma-sama's assistant," the blue-haired ferrygirl explained. "He's an oni…and don't worry. Even if he LOOKS fierce, he and the other oni here are huge softies."  
  
"P-p-pleased to meet you," the Koorime stammered timorously, not venturing out from her hiding place.   
  
Jorge shrugged resignedly and turned, leading the two into a large room with several large stacks of paperwork. In the center was a big desk, facing a huge screen suspended up above. Behind the desk sat a toddler with a big hat. Beside the desk, looking very sour, was…  
  
Forgetting her fear of Jorge, Kaeru stepped forward. "Hiei-san!"  
  
"Koorime," he returned, the bored look never leaving his face.  
  
The blue oni gaped at her. "She's afraid of me, but she's happy to see HIM?"  
  
"Save your griping for later." Koenma looked directly at Kaeru, who gazed back at him blankly. "Kaeru, do you know why I've called you here?"  
  
"No, not really..."  
  
"Figures." The toddler drummed his fingers on the desk's surface. "With some grudging help from Hiei, and much research, I've finally learned why Zenkai seeks your demise." He regarded the little Koorime solemnly. "Have you ever heard of the Kinmuku Hiruiseki?"  
  
Kaeru thought hard. Had Ruri ever mentioned that in her years of schooling? "Gomen, Koenma-sama, but I can't say I've heard of it."   
  
Koenma picked up a sheet of paper and began to read aloud from it. "Every three hundred and sixty-six years, an Ice Maiden is born with the ability to produce a unique tear-gem called the Kinmuku Hiruiseki: The pure gold tear-gem. This jewel is capable of eternally sealing away any spirit and also harbors an immeasurable amount of power within it. The hiruiseki will not appear unless its wielder summons it in times of great danger. If the Ice Maiden who carries it cannot harness the gem's power, she will be utterly destroyed by its power."  
  
The Ice Maiden blinked. "That's a very nice story, Koenma-sama, but I don't quite--"   
  
"You are the Koorime with the gem," Hiei interrupted her. "You carry the Kinmuku Hiruiseki."  
  
"Precisely," Koenma agreed. "Zenkai wants to kill you because the gem you carry has the power to seal him away forever. You're a threat to his existence and as long as you're alive, you have the potential to destroy him."  
  
Poor Kaeru looked a bit overwhelmed. Her knees slowly buckled and she started to sink to the ground. Hiei seized her arm and hauled her up before she fell.   
  
"Arigato," she told him, before looking pleadingly at the Reikai prince. "How…how…WHY am I the one who carries it? Are you SURE it's me?"  
  
"I'm sorry to say there's no doubt that it IS you, Kaeru," he said heavily. "It's shown up in your family twice. Your great-grandmother and HER grandmother had it. Your grandmother was killed before it was determined if she carried the gem as well. And that is undoubtedly why Zenkai murdered your mother and is now coming after you. He knows the pattern. Your mother never actually had the gem, but he had to make sure." He gazed at her. "Do you understand how important this is?"  
  
"Hai…" The Koorime closed her eyes. Her mother had been killed…because of her.   
  
"Your mother was killed because Zenkai was a witless bastard," Hiei suddenly said. She looked at him, startled, and he smirked, his Jagan glowing faintly underneath his band of white cloth. His hand, still holding her arm, squeezed slightly, before he released her.  
  
He's hard to understand, Kaeru thought. "Is that all, Koenma-sama?"  
  
He nodded. "It is. You may return to Ningenkai…just be very careful. If Zenkai knows that you ARE, without a doubt, the one who holds the Kinmuku Hiruiseki, he'll do everything in his power to destroy you as quickly as possible."  
  
Kaeru bowed and retreated. Botan followed her, pink eyes filled with concern. If she noticed that her little friend was silent during the trip back to Ningenkai, she didn't remark upon it.   
  
  
  
***Back to Kuronue and Suzaku…and the goat***  
  
"I don't care WHAT Kaeru says about not hurting it, I'm going to ROAST IT AND HANG ITS HEAD ON MY WALL!" Suzaku howled, kicking at the goat…still stubbornly gnawing on his pants.   
  
Kuronue discreetly inched away. This was all giving him one hell of a migraine. He went outside for some air.  
  
"It's Kuronue, isn't it?"  
  
The chimera glanced to his right. Hiken was approaching, smiling amiably. "Hey," he replied nonchalantly.   
  
"Is my niece at home? I'd hoped to speak with her."  
  
Kuronue had wanted to speak to Kaeru as well…for a few days, he'd been wrestling with the concept of telling her what had happened while she had been intoxicated. Every time he had tried to bring it up, however, the inquisitive look on her face stopped him short. He just couldn't tell her. That bothered him…blunt, brash, brutally honest thief that he was.   
  
"No, she isn't."  
  
"Hmmm…that's a shame." The man glanced at him, and then lowered his voice confidentially, looking up at the deep blue sky. "You know, she's the only family I have left. I was so young, but I was with my sister and my mother…but then the other Koorime…took them away from me. I never saw Kazuko or my mother again. I just couldn't understand…why all Koorime, male AND female couldn't live together peacefully. Why was I cast away?"  
  
The other youkai was wondering why Hiken had decided to tell him this, but obliged him. "And then what happened?"  
  
"I was raised by a kindly youkai couple, got older, learned about Zenkai, and sought my only living relation." Hiken sighed. "I just want to keep her safe."  
  
"You and everyone else," Kuronue remarked.   
  
"Kuro-kun!" Botan came circling down, with Kaeru clinging to her waist. "We're baaaaack!"  
  
"Oh, goody…" He reached up to take Kaeru from the oar. She went into his arms quite willingly. "So, how was it? Did the baby need a new diaper-changer or something?"  
  
"No, that wasn't it." The Ice Maiden waved to her uncle as the chimera set her down. "Gomen, Hiken-san, Kuronue-san, but I don't feel too well…" She headed inside, practically drooping.  
  
Kuronue and Hiken watched her go, and then looked at Botan. "What happened?" They said in one voice.  
  
The ferrygirl fidgeted on her oar. "I'm really not at liberty to divulge--" She flinched when Kuronue reached for his scythe. "It's nothing, really! Kaeru just has this tear-gem thingy that can beat Zenkai and if he finds out, she'll be doomed, but…oooh, don't tell Koenma-sama I said that!"  
  
"Not a word," Hiken promised. "She'd be in even more danger than before…"  
  
"Suzaku-san! What are you doing to that poor goat!"   
  
"Don't try to stop me, Kaeru. That thing has a deathwish, and it's about to be granted!"  
  
"Oops." Botan got off her oar and ran towards the house. "I'd better help out."  
  
The two males sighed in unison.  
  
From high above, unseen and unheard, a pair of cruel crimson eyes narrowed. "That's just perfect…"  
  
*OOC*  
  
I adore doing this. XD Anyway, please review! NEXT chapter, which will probably be extremely short, but hopefully very funny!  
  
* We all know what a flirt Kuronue is…but what happens when he flirts with the wrong person?  
  
* Why you should never answer the door for a vampire slayer…can Kaeru resolve things peacefully, will Hiei shed some blood, or will Kuro get slayed? Stay tuned… 


	10. Muffy, the Vampire Slayer

Very short Author's Note.  
  
THANK YOU SO MUCH, CELEBRINDAE!  
  
cough I don't know, but when she mentioned "weird situations", my creativity just kicked in. So now, I shall start writing this lovely piece of crap. I know, minna-san, it's taken forever, but SCHOOL. Which will not end until June 11 for me, so don't expect daily updates. I'm sorry, but I have 11th grade to pass! And thanks to Shin-san as well…I think it's a curse on the YYH stories…they're the only ones being affected. O.o  
  
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There were three key factors for chaos. First off, Kuronue was bored. Secondly, he was alone in the bar…except for the thin, blonde female sipping something that looked like cider. Which was the third factor. She was extremely pretty. And Kaeru wasn't there to talk some sense into him.   
  
"So," he said, leaning against the counter, and winking at the girl, who glanced at him from the corner of one blue eye. "You come here often?"  
  
"About once a week." She took a swig from her tankard, then set it down with a sigh. "I look for certain…types of people."  
  
He raised an eyebrow. "And am I your type, then?"  
  
The girl looked him over with a scrutinizing stare. "Your ears," she said, after a thoughtful pause. "They're pointed."  
  
Kuronue laughed nervously. "Yes, well, I was born like that."  
  
"And your clothes…do you always wear black?"  
  
"Well, I find it rather suits my nature--"  
  
"And your teeth seem…sharper than normal people's…" She persisted.  
  
He resisted the urge to say "The better to eat you with, my dear", and cleared his throat. "Well, obviously, I'm not your type. I'll just be leaving then…"  
  
"Oh, no you don't!" To the chimera's surprise, the girl suddenly pulled out a long wooden stake, hidden within her long tan trench coat. "I've found you, vampire, and you shall not escape unscathed from the holy power!"  
  
Oh Inari, she's one of those crazy bible-selling people, Kuronue thought. "Uh…really, I think you're mista--"  
  
"I'm NEVER mistaken!" She lunged at him, the stake clutched tightly in her upraised hands. "Prepare to feel pain, vampire! I am Muffin Ayadoki, otherwise known as Muffy the Vampire Slayer!"  
  
She's GOT to be kidding, he thought in disbelief. Who in their right mind would name their kid "Muffin"?? He jumped back to avoid getting speared like a shishkabob through the chest, and decided that, kidding or not, this female was obviously dangerous.  
  
"After I stab you, I'll sit by and sip my drink, while I watch you shrivel into a pile of smoking ashes, screaming in constant agony, and the world will be purified once more."   
  
With that happy mental image, Kuronue ran for his life. The slayer pursued.  
  
He was almost to Kurama's house when he remembered, with a pang, that no one was home. Kurama and Chitsuko had gone out somewhere, and the Mirror Holders had invited Kaeru and Suzaku over to play a rousing card game…or so Kelsey had said.   
  
"Damn it!"  
  
"BLASPHEMY!" Muffy shrieked, her face a mask of hysteria, insanity, anger, and glee. "You shall pay for your sins against humanity!"  
  
The chimera was getting tired of this. Shedding his heavy black coat, he flapped his wings hard and took flight, soaring high over the city, before following the air currents to Suzuki's house.   
  
Inside said home, the Mirror Holders, Rei, Shishiwakamaru, Suzuki, Jin, Touya, Hiei, Chuu, and Kaeru were playing Slap Jack. Mizu, Suzaku, and Rinku were cheering on their favorites, and let out a particularly loud whoop when Hiei's hand shot out and grabbed the Jack before gazing out at the card game in front of him with a bored expression on his face.  
  
"It's not fair!" Shishiwakamaru complained. "He's too fast and he grabs them before we even see them!"  
  
Kelsey looked at Hiei suspiciously. "I bet it's because of that Eye of his…"  
  
"So what if it is?" The Jaganshi scoffed.  
  
"Hiei," Kia said warningly. He smirked at her.   
  
"I know!" Rei jumped to her feet and grabbed Axe, who (A/N: o.o Who??) was propped up against the couch. "I say we HACK the damned thing out of his forehead and then Hiei can't cheat anymore!"  
  
"I suspect that would hurt," Touya said mildly.   
  
"Not to mention Hiei'd roast ya like one of those ningen sticky thingies…" Jin blinked, looking puzzled as he tried to recall the name. "Mash…err…"  
  
"Marshmallows," Kia supplied helpfully.  
  
"That's the one! Marshmallows!"   
  
All this time, they'd still been laying out cards, and Kaeru suddenly reached forward and touched one…a Jack--just as Hiei's hand shot out to snatch it.   
  
They all stared at her.  
  
"Well, I'll be Kuwabara's uncle," Chuu murmured. "She actually got one! She beat Three -Eyes!"  
  
Hiei growled irritably, and the little Koorime flushed. "A-ano, gomen nasai, Hiei-san, I didn't mean to take your John!"  
  
"Jack," Kelsey corrected her.   
  
"Why DO they call it Jack, anyway?" Rei pondered. "Why not Jeff? Or John? Or Joseph? Or even Jill? I think they're sexist! DESTROY SEXISM!"  
  
Suzuki rolled his eyes. "This game has gone to hell."  
  
"Gomen nasai," Kaeru repeated timidly. "It did nothing wrong, so I must have sent it there. Perhaps I can retrieve it?"  
  
"Not literally, Kae-chan! You are just so ADORABLE!" Rei forgot all destroying plans and hugged the Ice Maiden tightly. "I'm going to adopt you! You can call me Mommy from now on!"  
  
"Ah…" Thankfully, Kaeru was spared from replying, due to the door falling in…courtesy of Kuronue's foot.  
  
"You've gotta help me!" He was panting hard, the pupils in his violet eyes shrunk down to tiny spots.   
  
"Kuronue-san, what's wrong?" Kaeru asked, concerned, as he collapsed in front of her, his head resting in her lap. "Are you injured?"  
  
He was content to rest there, sucking in deep draughts of air until he had recovered enough to talk without gasping. "Muffy…slayer…big stake…trying…to kill me…"  
  
"What's this?" Kia looked at him. "A muffin slayer?"  
  
"Kia, someone took our job!" Kelsey exclaimed dramatically, hands to her cheeks. The other Mirror Holder coughed, smiling. "But you're not a muffin, Kuronue."  
  
"I KNOW that!" He exclaimed angrily. Kaeru rested a hand on his hair, and he calmed down slightly. "There's a VAMPIRE SLAYER after me! I think I lost her when I flew here, but--"  
  
"THERE you are!" Muffy stood in the doorway, twirling the stake like a baton. "I shall DESTROY you!"  
  
"She sounds like Rei," Rinku muttered. The priestess stuck out her tongue and crossed her eyes at him.   
  
Suzuki looked over at Kuronue. "And why, exactly, is she after YOU?"  
  
"Well, I flirted with her, and before I knew it, she was calling me a vampire…"  
  
"You FLIRTED with her??" The Mirror Holders yelped in unison.  
  
Rei pushed Kuronue off Kaeru's lap, and dragged the Koorime into her arms. "Kae-chan, sweetie, you are never to see or talk to this sick pervert ever again. Am I understood?"  
  
"…Nani?"  
  
"Just say 'Yes, Mommy.'"  
  
"But I--"  
  
"He has it coming!" Rei huffed indignantly. "Have at it, Muffin! Stab him EXTRA hard! Stab him where it hurts! In fact, stab him in the--" Suzaku discreetly covered her mouth with his hand. "Mmmph."  
  
Hiei let out a snort of disgust and drew his katana. "Baka ningen."  
  
Mizu stared at him, wide-eyed. "You're going to defend Kuronue?"  
  
"I feel like killing something," he said, the only explanation he was going to offer.  
  
"DIE, DEMON!" Muffy shrieked.  
  
Kaeru sighed quietly and disengaged herself from Rei's smothering arms. "Muffy-san, I apologize, but you're mistaken about Kuronue-san being a vampire." She walked over to the slayer and began talking to her in a quiet, soothing voice. The woman seemed to be listening intently, and then smiled, patting the Koorime on the head.  
  
"What a charming girl you are." Her smile brightened. "I understand." She bowed in Kuronue's direction. "I am truly sorry for misunderstanding you. Farewell." With another bow to Kaeru, she walked off.  
  
"What did you DO?" Shishiwakamaru finally asked, as everyone else gaped. "What did you tell her?"  
  
"The truth."  
  
Kelsey laughed. "What, that he's a bat-winged perverted demon?"  
  
"No." Kaeru sweatdropped. "That he's not a vampire and that all of his traits and his very nature made him his own person, and even if he was a bit different than most ningens, that that didn't make him a vampire." She smiled. "And she apologized for not having an open mind, since she didn't have any solid proof."  
  
"Kaeru, you're unbelievable." Kia shook her head in awe. "Kuronue doesn't deserve someone like you."  
  
"I can't believe Macho Bat had to be saved by a little girl!" Suzuki started laughing.  
  
"Oh, shut up," Kuronue said heatedly, stalking off. At that moment, he disliked Kaeru even more than he disliked Muffy.  
  
"Well…that was…strange," Touya remarked, after a very long stretch of silence.  
  
"But now Axe has a new friend!" Rei squealed delightedly, pointing to the sharpened piece of wood lying on the floor. "I'm going to call him Stake!"  
  
Nothing was said. No words were needed.   
  
OOC  
  
Well…that was…errr…strange. I totally agree with Touya. Please review while I do a victory dance for beating Writer's Block! NEXT chapter!  
  
Kuronue seems a bit tense…can Kaeru figure out what's wrong with him?  
  
The unthinkable happens…Kuronue attacks Kaeru! What's going on?? O.o  
  
After a fight, Botan suddenly appears and gives Kuronue some breaking news on Zenkai. And Kaeru's run off! Uh-oh… 


	11. Tension Erupts

Thanks for the comments, minna-san…to Sroa Dwin, OOC means "Out of Character"…basically, I'm not in story mode anymore. To Dark-Autumn, I'd love to major in Creative Writing. Minor…err…I have no clue. ;; And…Melissa-chan…DnK gone Broadway? Do you REALLY want to hear Kuwabara sing? Once again, I love all reviews and those who make them. Last time…Buffy was one-upped by Muffin, the psychotic vampire slayer who had her sights set on Kuronue! Thankfully, Kaeru's mediating skills kicked in and yet another crisis was averted…however, one major one is about to begin.  
  
Nakago: (who for some reason has dropped by to make me miserable) That was pathetic.  
  
Kia: Hey, I'M the one writing here! Go back and molest Tamahome or something!  
  
Nakago: Hmm…not a bad idea.  
  
Kia: -.- Get out of this series.  
  
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Kuronue chugged his bottle of Makai whiskey quite mercilessly, alone in front of Kurama's house.   
  
_"I can't believe Macho Bat had to be saved by a little girl!"_  
  
_ I can't believe it either,_ he thought sourly. _I was on the run from a NINGEN and she was the one who had to save ME!_   
  
His grip on the bottle neck tightened abruptly. Unbidden, Zenkai's voice suddenly echoed mockingly in the depths of his troubled mind.  
  
_"You don't interfere with Zenkai."_   
  
But Kaeru had…even if Kuronue had barged in there with the intention of rescuing her…in the end, it had been the diminutive Ice Maiden who had saved the day.  
  
"Damn it!" The pressure of his hold began to build up until the bottle shattered. Ignoring the light shower of glass and alcohol, Kuronue gazed at his hand, noting the trickle of blood from his action with detached interest.   
  
"Am I…am I that weak…to have to be saved so many times… by a _Koorime_?" He whispered bitterly.   
  
_You're even weaker than that,_ Zenkai's voice replied, although the question had been rhetorical. _You are a fool, chimera. How can you think to protect her when you can't even defend YOURSELF?_   
  
"Stop it!" Kuronue cried, clutching his head with both hands. "STOP!!"  
  
_ Why? Because you know it to be true?_  
  
"_STOP IT!_"

-------  
  
"Kurama…" Chitsuko looked up at the redhead, setting aside her textbook and folding her legs as she sat up straighter in her chair. "Does it seem to you that Kuronue's…been acting weird lately? I mean…he's been so tense all the time and he looks so upset…"  
  
The Youko didn't look up from his own reading, although his thoughtful frown deepened. "He hasn't been able to win his own fights lately," he finally answered, emerald eyes roving over the page. "He's anxious that Zenkai hasn't shown up yet and at the same time…he's still conflicted with all these different emotions. Just so long as we let him have his space, he should snap out of it relatively quickly."  
  
The golden-haired hanyou nodded in understanding…and then blinked, uncrossing her legs as she rose uncertainly. "Hey…have you seen Kaeru?"  
  
A long pause. "No…but I have a bad feeling about this…"

------  
  
Kuronue fell heavily to his knees, hands gripping the grass as he shook his head vehemently. "I'm not weak…I'm NOT!" Why wouldn't that damned voice leave him alone?  
  
_Easily toyed with…easily manipulated…easily KILLED._  
  
A hand tapped his shoulder, almost tentatively. The chimera whirled, saw those cold crimson orbs, heard that low, sadistic chuckle…and snapped.   
  
"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME, YOU BASTARD!" In an instant, his scythes were out, and ripping towards his hated foe. Surprisingly, Zenkai did not even attempt to block them as they struck…instead, he let out a choked cry of pain and slumped downwards…the black robes writhed, shifting into a blue kimono, a crimson spot slowly blossoming and darkening the fabric. The harsh eyes softened and filled with tears…and Kuronue realized, to his absolute horror, who he had just attacked.  
  
Kaeru knelt, one hand clamped over her wound, those precious hiruiseki gems silently hitting the grass and rolling in opposite directions. "Kuronue…san…?" She sounded just as disbelieving as Kuronue felt. "Why…why did you…"  
  
"Shimatta, Kaeru…" He reached for her, intending to help her into the house…but she flinched away from him, shaking her head wordlessly.  
  
Somehow, both Chitsuko and Kurama had managed to sense something was amiss, and they hurried outside. The latter halted in his tracks, but the girl didn't falter, effortlessly scooping the shivering Koorime into her arms. Without a word to Kuronue, she ran back inside. Kurama watched her go…and then looked steadily at his former partner.   
  
"What happened?"  
  
The chimera couldn't speak.

-------  
  
"There…lucky those scythes didn't go in too deep." Chitsuko finished bandaging her small friend, regarding her with a gentle stare. "So you're telling me Kuronue attacked you for apparently no reason at all?"  
  
Kaeru nodded, stifling an inadvertent sob. "He…didn't…even seem to know…who I was," she recounted haltingly. "And he…looked so angry…"  
  
The older girl nodded, allowing the Ice Maiden to hop off the bed. "I'll help you change the bandages tomorrow…just try not to do anything that would upset it…"  
  
"H-hai! Arigato gozaimasu, Chitsuko-san!" Kaeru automatically bowed…and then winced.   
"And _that _would be upsetting it," the hanyou informed her amusedly. The other nodded embarrassedly and headed for the living room…only to pause, having caught a snatch of conversation. Kuronue and Kurama were in there, arguing in low, but agitated voices.  
  
"Kuronue, I know you're frustrated, but that's still no reason--"   
  
"You didn't see that look she gave me…honestly, it was like she was _afraid_ of me!"  
  
A soft sigh was issued. "Honestly, what do you expect? You attacked her!"  
  
"How was _I _supposed to know that she'd come sneaking up on me?? You know…" And his next words made Kaeru stiffen… "I'm getting sick and tired of always having to watch her…she's like this little kid who's too stupid to watch out for danger! What a pain…I only agreed to watch her to get at those gems of hers."  
  
Kurama suddenly glanced over his friend's shoulder. An unknown emotion flashed in his eyes before he sighed once more. "You really must watch what you say…"  
  
Suddenly feeling the heat of a pair of eyes boring into his back, Kuronue slowly turned. Kaeru was standing there, looking positively livid.  
  
"Oh, _SHIT_."  
  
"If…if I'm a pain…then go back!" Reaching into her kimono, Kaeru withdrew a sparkling hiruiseki stone on a thin chain from around her neck. Without warning, she hurled it at Kuronue. It bounced off his head and hit the floor and the Koorime continued. "If these are what you came for, then you can have them! Every…single…one! I don't _care_ anymore!" She'd retrieved the ones from earlier and tossed them at him, before turning on her heel and running out.   
  
She threw open the door, rushed outside…and collided with Hiken. The man caught her before she fell over.  
  
"What's the hurry?" He asked, smiling genially at her. Then he caught sight of her expression and the smile slowly faded. "Kaeru, what's wrong?"  
  
"N-nothing…"   
  
Hiken watched her for a moment…and then he sighed, putting an arm around her. "Let's go for a walk and talk about it…" So the two Koorime set off…and, at that very instant, the phone in Kurama's house rang.  
  
Kuronue grudgingly answered it. "What?"  
  
"Kuro, it's Kia. Listen, don't let Kaeru leave the house! Kelsey and I both got this weird feeling and it seems Zenkai is around…"  
  
"...She just left."  
  
"WHAAAAAAAAT?!"  
  
The youkai held the phone a good distance away from his ear. "I told you, she just left! She got mad and--"  
  
"You _IDIOT_!"  
  
"KURONUE!"   
  
"Gaaaaaaaah!" He jumped about a foot in the air as he realized that Botan had just popped out of nowhere and was now urgently bouncing up and down.  
  
"Kuronue, it's Hiken! He…he…he…"  
  
"Yes, he's Kaeru's uncle, I know," he said shortly, hearing Kia yelling faintly from the phone he still held.   
  
The ferrygirl, still holding her oar, suddenly smacked him hard with it.   
  
Kuronue let out a yelp, rubbing his head frantically. "Baka onna, what the HELL--"  
  
"ZENKAI IS KAERU'S UNCLE! HIKEN IS ZENKAI! Where's Kaeru?!"  
  
"HE LET HER GO!" Kia shouted, recognizing Botan's voice.  
  
"He _WHAT_?!"  
  
"ZENKAI'S _WHAT_??!?" Kuronue suddenly slammed the phone down and raced out of the door, calling over his shoulder, "tell the others!"  
  
Botan gaped at him. "Where are you going?!"  
  
"To save her ass!" The door slammed shut, and Botan groaned wearily.  
  
"Why do I _always _get stuck with these assignments?"  
  
-OOC-  
  
That can't be good…didn't Kaeru just stroll off with Hiken? O.o And honestly, how many of you saw that coming? Please review while I beat the crap out of Nakago and…NEXT chapter!  
  
- Hiken…err…_Zenkai _attacks! Can Kaeru snap out of her shock long enough to fight back?  
  
- Kuronue shows up to save the day…only things backfire, and guess who gets himself captured? A new ally shows up and Hiei's lessons may have paid off!  
  
- Why you should never tell Suzaku that his former charge is in a duel with a Koorime killer…


	12. Zenkai

Thanks for the great reviews, minna-san! I'm glad not ALL of you knew who Hiken really was…that means I'm not extremely obvious! So don't feel stupid, Cricket-chan. And yes, Kota-chan, I promise to do the thing in the last chapter that we discussed on AIM. And to the…err…Person Who's Obsessed with My Writing…uh…thank you? -sweatdrop- I had no idea…  
  
Anyway, last chapter, Kuronue had issues and ended up attacking Kaeru, who ran away with her uncle, who turns out to be the very same guy who wants her dead! That can't be good.  
  
. Ne, I should write soap operas! My great-aunt and uncle write the scripts for _Dynasty_…you never know, I might have inherited the dramatic gene. -coughs- Or…well…that could just be me. Moving on…  
  
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"So what happened?" Hiken inquired gently, carefully observing the stormy look on his niece's features as they hesitated in a forest clearing, not too far from Kurama's house. "Did you and your guardian get into a fight?"  
  
Kaeru reluctantly nodded. "I don't think he's my guardian anymore…"  
  
"Is that right…?"   
  
She caught the gleam in his eye and registered what it meant just in time, ducking under his arm and throwing herself to the ground just as a crimson fireball zoomed over her head.   
  
The man snorted distastefully. "Can't you hold still for once? It makes my job so much easier."  
  
Kaeru regarded him with widened ruby eyes, filled with surprise and horror. "…Why?" She quickly scrambled to her feet and dodged behind a tree as another crackling orb of flame shot towards her. It missed and struck the tree beside the one she had ran behind, knocking it over with a creaking crash.  
  
"Why?" Hiken echoed, gazing at her with an amused, yet very malevolent smirk planted on his face. "My dear ignorant little Koorime, you really ARE too innocent for your own good. Even if you ARE my niece, do you _really_ think I'd let even one Ice Maiden escape? Oh no…that just gives me all the more reason to destroy you. The last of the legacy…with you out of the way, none of the Koorime shall dare oppose me."  
  
_It can't be…_ Almost incredulously, Kaeru peeked around the tree and met the man's hard crimson eyes, narrowed with malice and a deep-rooted hatred. "…Zen…_Zenkai_?!"  
  
"Smart girl. I knew you'd figure it out eventually. And now that I've lured you away from your little friends, I can finally kill you."   
  
Rummaging in his pockets, he produced several slips of paper with strange black characters painted on them. "Do you know what these are? Judging by the fear in your eyes, I'd say you do. I garnered a few of these from a member of the Black Black Club. I heard they were used on your little friend…let's see what they do for _you_!"  
  
He moved too swiftly for Kaeru to track his movements and as she felt something thin and dry touch her cheek, the most excruciating pain exploded in the place of contact and she let out a scream, stumbling backwards…only to fall to the ground, bound tightly with those talismans, which had formed some sort of rope and wrapped around her, preventing further escape.   
  
--_At Suzuki's House_--  
  
Things were in a state of instant pandemonium as Kia relayed what had happened during her phone call to Kuronue. Kelsey leapt to her feet immediately, tripping over a snoozing Rinku, who had curled up on the floor for an afternoon nap. "We've got to go save her!" She yelped. "Kaeru's no match for a bastard like Zenkai!"  
  
"She beat him once before," Kia pointed out, as Rei began to run around the couch, screeching incomprehensible things such as "My BAAAAAAAAAABY!!" and "It's the mushrooms! The mushrooms got her!!"   
  
"But that was with Hiei!" The blonde shouted back, and the Jaganshi, having just entered the room, glanced up. "Kia, we have to help her! She's a Koorime, and it's like having Yukina fight Yusuke at full power!"  
  
"Point taken." The other Mirror Holder glanced around nervously. "All right, who's with me?"   
  
Kelsey and Rei volunteered almost at once, as did Chuu and Touya. Z, Shishiwakamaru, Jin and Suzuki were nowhere to be found, and Rinku was still sleeping soundly. No one noticed that Hiei had mysteriously vanished.  
  
Once everyone was gathered, Rei flung open and the door--and almost knocked Suzaku into the bushes.  
  
"BIRDY!!" The Priestess threw herself at him, this time making them both fall into the shrubbery. "OUR BABY IS IN DANGER!"  
  
The Saint Beast untangled himself from her and stood up. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Baby??" Chuu snickered, resorting to hiding his grin under a hand as Suzaku shot him a deadly glare.   
  
"We just found out that Kaeru's uncle is actually Zenkai and she went off alone," Kia explained.  
  
"She did WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!"  
  
Kelsey winced, prying her hands away from her ears and cautiously lowering them. "Yes, well, I THOUGHT you'd be like that."  
  
"We have to get her! We have to kill him! **AND I'M GONNA SLAUGHTER KURONUE FOR THIS!! THAT IDIOTIC BASTARD, HOW COULD HE JUST LET HER WALK AWAY LIKE THAT**?!?"  
  
"That's the spirit, Birdy!" Rei cheered. "Let's go kill Batty!"  
  
Touya glanced at her strangely. "Err…Rei…I thought the objective was to rescue Kaeru."  
  
"Oh, yeah." The woman laughed. "Let's go save Kae-chan!"   
  
--_Back to the epic battle_--  
  
Kuronue, having been somewhat frantic at letting his charge slip off with his nemesis right under his nose, was flying over the forest, not caring who saw him…she _had _to be all right!  
  
_ Dammit, how could I have let this happen?! _  
  
Suddenly, his pointed ears twitched, hearing an agonized cry just below the area he was flying over now. Scowling deeply, the chimera angled his wings and shot downwards like an arrow, crashing into Zenkai and knocking the hunter over. He grabbed him by the collar and shook him roughly.  
  
"You bastard, what did you do to Kaeru?!"  
  
Zenkai didn't answer, his head falling limply to one side. Disgusted, Kuronue let him fall.   
  
"K-Kuronue…san…?"   
  
Upon hearing his name in that tentative query, he turned sharply--and saw Kaeru sprawled on the ground, struggling against a rope of paper talismans which had wrapped themselves around her. Growling a curse under his breath, Kuronue tugged hard on them and yanked them off, pulling out his scythes and slicing them to confetti in one swift and decisive slice. That done, he turned to his shivering charge. "Are you all right?"  
  
The Koorime's face, hands, and legs were covered in painful, red welts, and she yelped and jerked back as the chimera gently touched one on her cheek.   
  
"I'll take that as a no. Come on, we need to get you out of here."  
  
Kaeru may have been injured, but her senses were as sharp as ever and she knew they weren't saved yet. "Kuronue-san, look ou--!"  
  
Her warning came too late, as something dark slammed into Kuronue, pushing him back into a tree, and wrapping around him and the trunk. He let out another growl of rage and thrashed about, trying to free himself, but the black substance (which resembled a gelatinous steel cable) refused to be thwarted, and the more he fought against it, the more it tightened until he had to stop before all the air was squeezed from his lungs.   
  
"_Kuronue-san_!!" Alarmed, the Ice Maiden rose to her feet and started towards him. However, a very familiar Koorime hunter blocked the way, a black-hilted katana clutched in his right hand.   
  
"Not so fast, my dear. You and I have unfinished business and your friend will just have to be an audience member, I'm afraid."  
  
"Let him go!" Kaeru shouted, a surge of anger roiling in her chest. "He's got nothing to do with this!"  
  
Zenkai chuckled. "Au contraire, my dear. He has EVERYTHING to do with this. After all, if that blathering little toddler hadn't assigned him to protect you, trust me, you'd be at the bottom of a very large pile of dead Koorime bodies by now. Therefore, he's to stay out of my way. He can have you back once I'm done with whatever remains of you."  
  
The Ice Maiden narrowed her eyes. "I'm not as weak…as you think I am. Didn't your mother ever teach you never to underestimate your opponents?"  
  
"No…my mother taught me that you have to _fight_ to survive. Unfortunately, she wasn't so lucky. And neither was my dear twin. You see, Kaeru, I wasn't lying about that. Kazuko really was my sister…and I was indeed hidden from the other Koorime until I was three, and then tossed off a cliff, like any cursed anomaly would be. However…I survived and I swore that one day I'd return and wreak my vengeance upon the same species that had tried to destroy my life that fateful day. I'd never rest until each and every Koorime lay dead in a puddle of her own blood. And somehow, you're the only one who stands in the way of my dream. Not to mention that you're family, which makes for an interesting relationship, don't you think?"  
  
His voice was light and friendly, as if he was merely explaining something to a confused companion.   
  
Kaeru was silent for a few minutes. Then she spoke, her voice low and soft. "I'm not going to let that happen."  
  
"Oh, really?" He quirked an eyebrow. "Pray tell, my dear niece, just how do you plan to carry out that threat? In case you haven't noticed, _I_ have the advantage here."  
  
Kuronue looked from Koorime to elder Koorime. One was tall, strong, and had enough firepower to blow up a city. The other was petite, delicate, and had enough ice power to freeze an entire school. One had a sword and seemed in perfect condition. The other was weaponless and couldn't even stand up straight.  
  
_Damn…this looks **bad**.   
_  
Luckily, as Zenkai swooped down on his young kin, with the intention of ending her life once and for all, help arrived in a very strange, furry package.  
  
Something small and crimson shot past Zenkai, and screeched to a halt just beside Kaeru, all four paws digging into the earth for better traction. It turned out to be a rather tiny fox with a gleaming red-orange coat, fading down to russet paws and a bushy tail with a white tip. Looking rather pleased with itself, it dropped something by the Koorime's feet: a katana.   
  
For what seemed like an eternity, all three stared at the little canine, stunned. Kaeru recovered first and knelt. "…Nari?"  
  
The vixen barked an affirmation, rubbing her head affectionately against the hand that the Ice Maiden extended to her.   
  
"Friend of yours?" Kuronue asked wryly.   
  
Kaeru nodded, getting back up with her new weapon in hand as the fox scampered over to take a place beside the bound chimera. "Her mother was killed and someone brought her to the village, so I took care of her and raised her from a kit. I don't know how she got here, though…and where she got the weapon from. I thought she was still with the other Koorime…"  
  
((A/N: At that moment, Hiei was wondering where his spare katana had disappeared to and decided that he should have slain the strange orange dog when he first saw it.))  
  
Zenkai snorted dismissively. "Enough dawdling." He lunged at Kaeru, who brought the katana up just in time, and the two began a fierce duel to the death. If the girl had been incredible during her sparring sessions with Hiei, it was nothing compared to the moves she was pulling now, each one flawless and executed, although it was apparent by the beads of sweat on her forehead and her heavy breathing that she wasn't as in control of this fight as she'd liked to be. However, she was definitely holding her own against a formidable opponent, and even Kuronue couldn't predict how this would turn out.   
  
Nevertheless, Zenkai had prepared for any setbacks and knew just how to win. He just had to wait and wear her out, and then strike when necessity called for it.  
  
--_Elsewhere_…--  
  
"Here, Kaeru! Heeeeeere, girl!!" Rei clapped her hands and let out a piercing whistle. "Come to mommy!"  
  
"Rei…" Chitsuko (who had joined the rescue party, along with Kurama and Botan) shook her head. "Kaeru's not a dog."  
  
"No, but she's an Ice Maiden and they're just as obedient! KAERU!!"  
  
Chuu and Touya exchanged their patented "Oh-My-God-She's-Insane" stare and Kia sighed. "Less talk, more Koorime finding. I get the feeling she's in a lot of trouble right now."  
  
"But Kuronue must've found her already," Botan pointed out.  
  
The brunette grimaced. "That's why I feel that way."  
  
-**OOC**-  
  
I hate Writer's Block. So much. Yes. Anyway…first off, all ideas of DnK, its series, _Hiruiseki _and its series, _Shikizaki_, and any other story ideas are copyright of me only. If anyone takes them and I find out, you're getting reported. Luckily, the last person who did such a thing removed her story, but it's just a warning. I work hard to keep things original and if someone takes it from me and claims it as their own, it's not right and it makes me upset. And characters are copyright of me, Togashi, Kelsey, and a few select others. Thank you for your time. And anyway, please review and NEXT chapter!  
  
- If you think calling Kaeru "Snowdrop" is bad, try doing that AND hurting Kuronue! O.o  
  
- When she's driven into a corner and unable to protect her friend, Kaeru only has one option left…but will she have enough control to master it?   
  
- The shattering conclusion of the battle with neither left standing! O.o Did I just say that aloud? Err…well…yeah. You'll see. 


	13. Hiruiseki

Don't say anything. I know I haven't updated in ages, and I know I've been bad, but I've been having my share of problems and I really don't feel like explaining myself. Let's just say that writer's block is evil and leave it at that.  
  
Hiei: No one is going to buy that.  
  
Kia: Oh, shut up. Anyway, last time, Kaeru was betrayed by her only living relative, her uncle Hiken, who turns out to be Zenkai! Now, as Kuronue is forced to look on helplessly and the gang races to the rescue, it's Koorime versus Koorime, and it's winner take all! Who will be triumphant? Let's find out, shall we? This may be short, maybe not. Dunno.  
  
Hiei: …I want my katana back.  
  
Kia: You have two. Think of it like this: you're helping Kaeru.  
  
Hiei: That's why I want it back.  
  
Kia: I know you don't mean that. Now go away and let me write!

* * *

"I don't expect this to last long," Zenkai hissed softly, barely audible, the vehement whisper nevertheless reaching his opponent's ears as they circled each other warily. "After all, you're a Koorime…and that in itself is your ultimate weakness."  
  
Kaeru refused to rise to the bait. "You're a Koorime as well," she countered calmly, stepping back and raising her katana to block a strike from her uncle. "Should I focus on that as your weakness? I'd say we're pretty evenly matched."  
  
"The entire race is fated to destruction at my hands!" The hunter laughed. "I, who have cleansed my hands with the blood of the Ice Maidens…I am too experienced, Kaeru. And how many have you killed? None? You'd cry if you accidentally stepped on a frog, wouldn't you?"  
  
Again, she was undaunted. "Most likely…but that shows I have a heart, unlike yourself. To murder your own twin…was that when your soul died? Or was it before that, when you had your first kill? If being experienced and being a match for you means that I have to kill scores of my people, I'd rather die!"  
  
Kuronue blinked, startled by the Koorime's quiet intensity. She'd never sounded so passionate before…but who could blame her? He'd gotten the feeling when they'd visited her home that she was fond of the other Ice Maidens and considered them all family…her own _mother _had been killed by this man! In a sense, he understood her anger and silently encouraged it, while at the same time praying that she didn't let it conquer her entirely. Zenkai laughed again, although the sound was even more harsh and grating on the chimera's ears than before. "That is one wish I'll willingly grant you, my dear. Think of it as a family favor."  
  
Kaeru stumbled backwards as he pressed on, slashing and slicing at any part of her body that he could reach. For the most part, she managed to evade most of the critical attacks, although she ended up with a few shallow (yet painful) gashes on her legs. She didn't want to lower her katana to defend her lower half, knowing full well that her uncle would take advantage and either aim for her head or her heart. She kept her lips pressed in a thin line, doing her best to ignore the taunts and threats he was throwing at her in the hopes of distracting her and making her drop her guard. It didn't seem to be working.  
  
The Koorime hunter heaved a silent sigh of frustration. The girl's self-control was admirable, but at the moment, it irritated him to no end. He had to discover a way to make her falter, or they'd either be locked in a stalemate or he might actually _lose_! ((A/N: Oh, the HORROR!)) Then he remembered something Suzaku had griped about, when he had been masquerading as Hiken. He also recalled something else the Saint Beast had mentioned.  
  
_"She hates that nickname…dunno why, but it ALWAYS pisses her off. And here's another thing…she's always been big on her friends. They seem like a bunch of brats to me, but she told me that if I zapped any of them, she'd freeze me for a month. Hunh. Go figure."_  
  
Well, it was worth a shot. "Oh, by the way, Snowdrop…" He started off innocently, mentally smirking when her big ruby eyes narrowed in suspicion and suppressed ire. "After I'm done with you, I plan to hunt down every last one of your little friends and slaughter them. I think I'll start with the bat. Don't worry, I'll be sure to tell them that you send your regards."  
  
That did it…but not in the way Zenkai had hoped. For as he spoke those words, Kaeru's brewing anger reached its boiling point and erupted. The next moment, the roles had switched: he was on the defensive, desperately keeping his sword up and having to invoke every ounce of his speed and wits to keep himself from being gutted by a very pissed-off Ice Maiden.  
  
"Leave them out of this!! Lay a finger on them and I'll kill you!" The words erupted from her mouth in a vicious snarl that left her wondering, _Did I just say that?_ Surely she had…the surprised look on her foe's face was proof enough.  
  
After a startled silence between the two Koorime, the elder sneered elegantly at the younger, smaller one, both eyebrows raised. "And how do you plan on doing that if you're dead?"  
  
"I don't plan on dying."  
  
"Indeed. How quaint. Then let's continue…"  
  
--_The Rescue Party_--  
  
"KAERU! KAERU! WHERE ARE YOUUUUU--hey, a rhyme!"  
  
Touya and Kia both groaned in unison and Kelsey palmed herself in the forehead.  
  
Chuu rolled his eyes. "Honestly, you think she's gonna come out if you keep screaming like that?"  
  
Rei stuck her tongue out at him. Unfortunately, she didn't put it back when she began to protest.  
  
"Imph mpho Kaurmpph mmprh!"  
  
Chitsuko smiled slightly. "What she said."  
  
Suzaku looked frustrated with the entire group. "We're supposed to saving Kaeru and here we are making RHYMES?! DAMMIT, THIS WON'T GET US ANYWHERE!! We don't even know where the hell she IS!"  
  
Kurama opened his mouth, about to reply, but the priestess got there first.  
  
"Oh, is THAT why this is taking so long? Axe?" She lifted the six-foot weapon closer to her ear, and fell silent, occasionally bobbing her head up and down and muttering little "uh-huh"s and "uh-HUH"s. As the other seven members that made up the search-and-rescue party looked at her quizzically, she beamed and looked up. "Axe says she's in the forest by Kurama's house. She's fighting Zenkai and Kuronue's there too, but he's tied up."  
  
Everyone stared at her. ((A/N: Free cookies for anyone who can correctly guess who says what. XD))  
  
"…What? Shouldn't we go save her or something?"  
  
Almost at once, shouts and yells exploded from the group.  
  
"Rei no baka! Why didn't you say that SOONER?!"  
  
"We're really not taking advice from a weapon of destruction, are we?"  
  
"I dunno, it's making more sense than Suzaku is."  
  
"**WHAT WAS THAT**?!"  
  
"Weapon or not, it's our best bet of finding her right now!"  
  
"You're not SERIOUS! I mean, REALLY! An AXE??"

"This from a drunkard."  
  
Kurama cleared his throat. "We'll discuss the methods later. For now, let's go."  
  
--_Back to the Fight_--  
  
Kuronue gritted his teeth, watching Kaeru and Zenkai glare at each other, each one panting and out of breath. They couldn't keep up this speed for very long, and with the intensity that they'd been battling, he was surprised that neither had collapsed of exhaustion yet.  
  
Zenkai decided the tables had to be turned. He could not…WOULD NOT…accept defeat at the hands of a big-eyed, sweet-tempered Koorime who only came up to his waist! And then he realized the one thing that would definitely sway things in his favor. He shifted and sped towards Kuronue, sword ready to spill the struggling chimera's blood. Nari bristled and leapt forward, but was quickly kicked aside.  
  
Kaeru was puzzled for a moment, wondering why the man wasn't attacking her--and then realization struck, and she quickly jumped in front of the captive bat-winged youkai, determined not to let any harm come to him.  
  
With a smirk, the Koorime hunter brought his katana down on the girl's right arm, satisfied that she'd walked right into his trap. She'd been so worried over the chimera's welfare that she hadn't had the time to defend herself, and he'd taken advantage of that show of weakness. The blade bit into cloth and skin, and the Ice Maiden let out a sharp cry of pain, which only increased in volume and agony as Zenkai reached out, grasping her wrist and squeezing it cruelly, while twisting it towards him.  
  
All three heard the crack, and all three reacted to it differently. Kaeru screamed, falling to her knees, while dropping the katana to cradle her broken wrist. Kuronue let out a guttural roar, straining against his gelatinous bonds, and Zenkai smiled quite cheerfully, adding a final touch: he bent down, forced the girl's hand away from her injured appendage, and brought his boot down upon it, twisting it back and forth until Kaeru went limp. With a satisfied grin, the man backed away, turning to Kuronue, who was staring at the motionless Koorime in horror.  
  
"Oh, don't worry. She's not dead, just unconscious. I want her to wake up and see your corpse." Zenkai approached the chimera, pressing the blade to his throat and pushing in slightly. Kuronue flinched, but stayed silent as blood slowly trickled down his pale skin, pooling on the mirror-like surface of the blade. "It's time for you to pay for interfering…"  
  
From where she lay, Kaeru could dimly hear her uncle's voice, low and mocking…but it was drowned out by the other voices whirling around in her head.  
  
_Does this mean…I'm not dead?  
  
It hurts…it hurts so bad…make it stop!  
  
You've got to get up! If you don't, Kuronue-san will…  
  
Will WHAT?  
  
I…I can't do this!! I'm scared…  
  
If you DON'T do anything, Kuronue-san will DIE.  
  
What can I do…? I…it hurts…  
  
"Listen to me carefully, Kaeru...I want you to stay alive. You must, it's essential!"  
  
…Okaasan??  
  
"You're part of a great destiny, and Zenkai will NOT kill you…"  
_  
_Okaasan, tell me what I should do!!_  
  
Silence. Kaeru's eyelids fluttered slightly.  
  
_I'm all out of options…  
  
You're NEVER out of options. Not while you still have breath in your body!_  
  
_I can't help…I'm not that powerful!  
  
"You're the bravest Koorime I know, and I'm sure you can overcome this."  
  
"I…I almost lost you…"  
  
I don't…want him to die…I don't! I CAN'T let him die!! I don't want to lose him!!_  
  
Kuronue yelled out as the blade cut in deeper.  
  
"K-Kuronue-san…" Kaeru whispered, her heart beating painfully, and she sensed tears prickling in her eyes. Something inside her shifted, and she heard Zenkai shout in surprise.  
  
A bright golden light filled the clearing, illuminating the entire forest area, and signifying to a certain spiky-haired Jaganshi where the fight was being held. It also became apparent to the rescue party that Axe had been truthful…sparking more arguments about the truthfulness of sharp objects.  
  
Kuronue blinked as the radiance faded, looking over at Kaeru, who had used her katana to prop herself up on her knees. She was staring down at a glowing golden gem nestled in the flattened grass, a look of weary astonishment resting on her face. Zenkai was gone.  
  
Hiei landed near her, eyeing her impassively. "The Kinmuku hiruiseki?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"…The choice is yours, Koorime."  
  
Kaeru merely smiled softly, then took hold of the katana with both hands, grimacing in pain. With a look of intense concentration, she drove the tip into the very center of the tear-gem. The explosion knocked her back into Hiei, and the bonds holding Kuronue dissolved. Giving his head a brief shake, he dashed over to the short swordsman, looking down at his armful in worry.  
  
"Is she…?"  
  
Hiei shrugged, passing her over. "She destroyed Zenkai by sealing him into the gem and unleashing all that power. The resulting shockwave may kill her. Who knows. It was her last resort." He vanished in a speedy blur, leaving the chimera alone with a lifeless Ice Maiden. Kuronue looked down at her, tenderly wiping a smudge of blood off of her cheek.  
  
"Kaeru…you better not die…"  
  
-_**OOC**_-  
  
I'm tired. It's midnight. Thanks to Kelsey for motivation and Seth also, and Kaly…and everyone who reviewed…Mai-chan and Shin-san and everyone…so please review. NEXT Chapter!  
  
- Suzaku has a few surprises of his own…(thanks, Kota-chan!)  
  
- Kuro's feeling guilty again! Will Kaeru awaken, and what new surprises will be revealed?  
  
- Hiei learns something, and Kuronue has to be even more careful now…


	14. A Time for Truth

Thanks for all the lovely comments, minna-san. And thanks for your faith in me, Kota-chan. XD Anyway, it's been a little less than a month since I last updated, but I was suddenly seized with the urge to write this and I want to finish it BEFORE Midnight this time, so here I go!  
  
This is indeed the last chapter of Touketsu. However, I leave you, my readers with an option. One: This will be the last story in Kaeru's arc. Two: I can write a sequel to this, being the final one, in which Kaeru and Kuronue go to Makai to find someone/get into a world of trouble/etc. Please let me know One or Two when you leave a review!  
  
Anyway, last time, Kaeru and Zenkai had a final showdown, which resulted in the latter being destroyed by the Kinmuku Hiruiseki and the former reduced to a lifeless heap. Let's get this started, then! Or…finished. RKT peeps, don't go away yet. I have a special shout-out to you guys.  
  
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Kuronue's head shot up as Kia stepped out of her bedroom, looking incredibly weary. "Well? How is she?"  
  
The Mirror Holder sighed, tucking an errant strand of dark hair behind her right ear, hesitating before she spoke.  
  
When the group had finally caught up to Kuronue, they'd found him sitting against a tree, all of his attention focused on the unmoving Koorime in his arms. No time had been wasted then, no questions asked. Kurama and Chitsuko had taken Kaeru from the chimera and gone ahead to Suzuki's house, with the two Mirror Holders in tow. There was no logic in going to Kurama's, since Shiori would just ask questions and Kaeru needed more than a ningen doctor just then. Upon arriving, they'd settled the Ice Maiden into the bedroom Kia and Kelsey normally shared and the former (possessing the Mirror Half of Healing) had started her work, shooing everyone else. By the time the others had arrived, she'd been in there for twenty minutes. It had now been two hours.

When Kia spoke, everyone snapped to attention, fixing their eyes on the tired-looking brunette. "It's hard to say. It took me awhile to fix the bone and fuse the marrow back together in her wrist, longer than it should have…and her blood flow was erratic…her organs weren't functioning fully…"

The chimera eyed her strangely. "Say that again, in terms I can understand."

Another sigh. "Healing isn't at all what you read about in story books. It's not just bright light and it's all better. It's not just a touch. When you heal, you have to delve down into your patient's body and determine what's wrong and then try to fix it. Sometimes you can't."

"What?" This time, Suzaku echoed the word along with Kuronue.

Kia grimaced. "Kaeru's got some major boo-boos and they're not ones you can kiss and make all better. In other words, I did what I could, but I don't know if it worked. Does that help, nimrods??"

Kuronue nodded, deciding to ignore the insult for now. "Why didn't you just say that at the beginning?"

"Because I thought you were smart!" She started towards him, but stumbled halfway there. Jin caught her before her face became acquainted with the carpet.

"Oi, lass, are you feelin' all right?"

Kia glanced up at him gratefully. "It took a little more out of me than I thought. I don't know what happened out there, but whatever that golden light was…it did something to Kaeru's body…judging from her state, I'm surprised she's still breathing."

Kuronue caught on to that little glimmer of hope and clung to it with a fierce tenaciousness that he had never imagined having. "So she's alive!"

"She SAID that!" Kelsey joined in before Kia could open her mouth to call him "nimrod" again. "We just don't know if she'll be waking up anytime soon!" Shishiwakamaru, perched on her shoulder in his true youkai form, snorted in distaste.

"What a fool."

"I think he's a SWEET fool!" Rei sprang to Kuronue's defense, glaring daggers at Kelsey's shoulder occupier. "I think if we all sat down and said what we felt, we wouldn't be in this horrible situation!"

Chitsuko glanced at her, seemingly surprised by the priestess' unusual seriousness. "…What we felt?"

"That's right, Golden Girl!" Rei nodded approvingly. "For instance, if a certain chimera confessed to a certain Koorime that he loved her, or another certain midget confessed to another certain Koorime that they were related, or if a certain little boy confessed that he walked into the wrong bathroom this morning--"

Rinku turned bright pink. "It was an accident!" He insisted, glowering at the sniggering Chuu and Suzuki. Hiei seemed to be debating between beheading Rei and looking nervously at Yukina, who still seemed sweetly puzzled by all of this, obviously not understanding that the axe-wielder was referring to Hiei and herself.

Rei patted the boy on the head, which earned her a glare as well, before she continued. "And also, if a certain Saint Beast would admit that he considers a certain chimera a good friend…"

This time, Suzaku reacted. "Never!" he snapped, rising up to his full, impressive height. "The day I become friends with that bat-winged freak is the day I admit my deep, abiding love for Rei!"

A full five minutes later, he realized what he'd just said, and choked. That was how long the stunned silence lasted in the room.

Chuu chortled heartily, pounding the beet-red Saint Beast on the back. "Guess that means you and Batty are good chums now, eh? Maybe he'll be yer man 'o honor at yer wedding!"

"Suzaku-san and Rei-san are getting married?" Yukina clapped her hands, smiling warmly. "I'm so happy for you!"

"Really, Suzaku…" Kelsey grinned at him. "Kia and I were starting to wonder if you were gay."

"You thought WHAT??"

Touya, Kurama, Chitsuko and Jin wisely decided not to comment, although all four were grinning. Rinku was snickering, and Hiei simply looked bored with it all. Suzaku was just grateful that Yusuke wasn't here to witness all of this. That ditzy little ferrygirl had flown off to tell him, Kuwabara, Keiko, and Koenma all that had taken place. It was bad enough that everyone here now knew. Slowly, he risked a glance at Rei.

Her bright green eyes were dancing as she clasped her hands together in front of her chest. "Oh, Birdy, I knew you'd admit it eventually!" She hauled him in for a deep, passionate kiss, right there in front of everybody.

Suzuki was too far gone for salvation, laughing so hard that tears were running unhindered down his face.

Kuronue smirked faintly. "Congrats, Bird."

"It's YOUR turn now!" Rei broke the kiss long enough to open the door to the bedroom in which Kaeru was sleeping and shove the startled youkai into the room, before slamming it shut and returning to her business.

Kuronue immediately tried the knob--only it refused to turn under his hand. He tried again, shaking it harder. The doorknob giggled at him. "Should've known she was friends with the damned door too," he muttered in disgust, releasing the doorknob and turning to look for a window or some other method of escape. Instead, his eyes fell on the pale figure lying quietly in one of the beds. All thoughts of revenge faded.

Kaeru was comfortably tucked into Kia's bed, the covers pulled up to her chest. She was wearing her own nightshirt that she'd left here while sleeping over once, one gray-clad arm sprawled across her chest. The other was placed by her head, palm facing up. He could see from the inconsistent rising and falling of the covers that she was still breathing, if somewhat haltingly. Her skin hadn't really gained any color from the last time he'd seen her, but at least the pained expression on her face had given way to a sort of gentle exhaustion. Nari was curled up on her left side, ears twitching occasionally.

Kuronue hesitated, then slowly sat on the bed beside the Ice Maiden's sleeping form, reaching forward to feel her forehead. It was slightly warm. With a sigh, he continued to watch her.

"C'mon…you've gone through worse than this…you can pull through this too, can't you?"  
  
---_Reikai_---

Hiei folded his arms over his chest, regarding Koenma with a blank ruby stare. "Why did you summon me?" Truthfully, he was thankful for the distraction, having quickly becoming annoyed by everyone teasing Suzaku and his new girlfriend. He could care less.

Koenma gazed back at the Jaganshi, sighing heavily. "We've received news that you share kinship with an Ice Maiden."

The diminutive youkai's bored expression didn't waver. "You know very well who my sister is, Koenma. Get to the point."

The toddler shook his head. "…Not Yukina, Hiei. Kaeru."

If anyone thought the silence when Suzaku had announced his affection for Rei was long and drawn-out, that was nothing compared to the full ten minutes that followed Koenma's words. Through it all, Hiei retained a stolid appearance.

"Explain," he said curtly, after letting the information sink in. 

Koenma rubbed his temples with chubby fingers. "She's your cousin. Second cousin, to be exact."

"My mother had no siblings." Was this child ruler daft?

"I never said it was on your mother's side." The toddler stared at the Koorime solemnly.

Hiei stared at him, dropping his uncaring façade. "What the hell are you talking about??"

"Your father had a brother. That brother had a son. That son had a daughter. That daughter is Kaeru."

The Jaganshi mulled this over. Kaeru was his second cousin. If that was true, she had a twin, as he did. She was family now. She was family and she had been left alone with a perverted chimera. Like hell.

Hiei turned to go, but someone caught his shoulder.

"Nuh-uh, Hiei! Leave the poor thing alone!" Yusuke smirked, poking the Jaganshi on the forehead. "You're bad enough with Yukina!"

Kurama and Chitsuko stood behind the Reikai Tantei, smiling to themselves. "He has a point, brash as it is," the Youko spoke. "I'm curious to see how Kaeru will react to the news that her family is not all gone."

Hiei only gritted his teeth and glared murderously.  
  
---_Back to Kaeru and Kuronue…_---  
  
He must've dozed off…for when Kuronue woke up, his head was resting on Kaeru's chest. She was breathing normally now and as he gazed down at her, lifting his head to allow her to breathe easier, she finally opened her eyes.  
  
At first, there were murky clouds of sleepiness and confusion swirling around in those big ruby hues, but then they cleared and the Koorime blinked.  
  
"…K…Kuronue…saaaan?" The last bit emerged as a yawn and she immediately clapped one hand over her mouth with a chagrined squeak, startling Nari into consciousness. Her eyes, still holding a trace of bemusement, met the chimera's violet ones and he smiled calmly at her.  
  
"You had everyone worried about you, you know. Kia was going off on major boo-boos and then the bird and the psycho priestess were kissing…"  
  
"_Nani??"_ Kaeru sat bolt upright, then winced, practically doubling over as she gasped out in pain.  
  
Kuronue's smile faded to a concerned frown and he placed one large hand on her back to steady her. "Oi, take it easy, you're not fully recovered yet!"  
  
"Gomen…" The Ice Maiden peered up at him through half-closed eyes. "Demo…Rei-san and Suzaku-san…I was wondering when he'd tell her…" Her voice was growing softer…was she falling asleep again?  
  
"Kaeru…?"  
  
"Is…Zenkai….? And you and Nari…"  
  
He sighed. Of course she'd be anxious about that. "Dead, and we're both fine."  
  
"Oh, good…I…was so worried…" She yawned again, raising her hand to cover it. Kuronue saw the bandages wrapped around her wrist, saw how she grimaced…and lost it.  
  
"**DAMMIT**, KAERU!"  
  
The fox kit yelped in protest, wriggling under the pillow to block out the volume of Kuronue's explosive yell. Kaeru merely looked stunned.  
  
"Kuronue-san…? Daijoubu desu ka?"  
  
"No, I'm NOT all right! You get your wrist shattered because you forget to save your own hide! What kind of a Koorime ARE you?! You idiot, you could have been _killed_ and there would have been nothing neither I nor anyone else could have done! Do you understand how close you came to DYING?? And here you are, sitting here and _smiling_, and you're still worried about everyone else! Would you STOP being so goddamned caring?!"  
  
The poor Koorime was looking absolutely bewildered, but slowly, her eyes began to well up. Realizing that he'd been screaming at the top of his lungs at someone who'd been at the brink of death, Kuronue sucked in a sharp breath.  
  
"Shit…I'm sorry, Kaeru, I didn't mean that…I didn't mean any of what I said before, about you being a pain and a little kid, and how it was a hassle watching over you…I've been a real bastard lately, and I guess you're pissed and won't forgive me, but then again, who can blame you? I--"  
  
Once again, Kaeru had found the best method to shut him up. One small finger rested on his lips, silencing him quite efficiently. "Kuronue-san."  
  
He stared at her, wide-eyed. She was smiling…she was crying, but she was still smiling! _Why is she…_  
  
"You were frustrated," the Ice Maiden went on. "I understand that. We both said things we didn't mean. You don't have to worry about me not forgiving you…" She trailed off, smiling sheepishly.  
  
Kuronue then heard the eight most beautiful words he'd ever heard from her mouth.  
  
"I'd forgive you no matter what you did."  
  
"…Oh, _HELL_!" The chimera gave in to temptation and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug, pressing her against his body. She was so thin, so frail…but so alive, and he didn't care how mushy this was getting…Kaeru was alive and all right, and that was all right with him.  
  
"You know…" Kaeru raised her head slightly, smiling impishly at him. "If you want to try again, I won't try to freeze you this time."  
  
It was one of those situations where no clarification was needed. Kuronue simply cupped one cheek into his hand, bent down, and touched his lips to hers.  
  
It was a fleeting, gentle kiss, but the resulting electric tingle that both felt made it seem like the most passionate lip-lock in centuries. Kaeru made a muffled sound of pleased surprise, threading her fingers into Kuronue's ponytail as he dipped back in for another, longer kiss.  
  
When he carefully broke away, the Ice Maiden was smiling. "Arigato…Kuronue-san…maybe we can try that again when I wake up…" And, just like that, she was out like a light.  
  
The chimera carefully tucked her back in before touching his lips.  
  
In the corner, the doorknob was giggling again. And the eight pairs of eyes peering through the thin crack of the door all seemed just as amused.  
  
"And that, my dear friends, is why you must _always _listen to me!"  
  
"You're crazy, Rei!"  
  
"But I'm right! Aren't I, Axe?"  
  
Silence.  
  
"See? He says I'm right!"  
  
"He didn't say anything!"  
  
"Shut up, he'll hear you!"  
  
"Wow, I had no idea Koorime could kiss like that!"  
  
"Stop looking at Yukina, you hentai!" **_WHAP._**  
  
"Itaiii!"  
  
"Nani?"  
  
It had been, everyone agreed later, a very interesting adventure.  
  
---**_OOC_**---

Thanks, minna! I had a blast writing this…special thanks to Kelsey, for…everything! And to Kota-chan, for the whole Suzaku/Rei idea. Thank you, everyone, every reviewer and muse! And a VERY special thank-you to the crew at RKT, the place where Kaeru was born and developed. If it hadn't been for Aiko, Fox, Mezi, Lira, Sporky, Yuna, Shin-san, Saitou-san, Hinooki, Kura, and everyone else, I would never had made it this far! Thank you all so much!  
  
Remember, One or Two, leave a review, and results will be posted in my author's note of whatever story I update next! Thanks again; it's definitely been an is so not letting me indent...grrrrr...


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